A 14-year-old girl was sent to the hospital after her Apple iPhone 5C exploded in her pocket prior to her French class Friday The Morning Sentinel reported Monday.
"Immediately, smoke starts billowing from around the student," Jeff Rodman, principal of the Middle School of the Kennebunks in Maine told The Sentinel. "She knew right away something was wrong and, in a panic, knew her pants were on fire caused by the cellphone," Rodman told The Sentinel.
The eighth-grade student had burns on one of her thighs, and her back after the smartphone made a popping sound The Sentinel reported.
She was forced to remove the clothing where the phone was stored in a separate area of the classroom The Sentinel reported.
"It was sensitive. She knew she was kind of in a tough situation," Rodman told The Sentinel.
School staff put a blanket around the student, and 911 was dialed. The student then reduced the flames and damages via the stop drop and roll safety measure or strategy people use when on fire.
This caused the phone to slip out of the pocket.
"The phone fell out of her pocket ... and it was still smoldering. Her pants were still on fire," Rodman told The Sentinel.
"There's basically a lithium-ion type rechargeable battery built in (to an iPhone)," Andrew Rosenstein, owner of TechPort in Portland told Fox News. "The battery, as it charges and discharges, it's really a chemical reaction that can generate heat," Rosenstein told The Sentinel. "It's very rare there can be an issue, but any battery is just a chemical composition that can be flammable in extreme circumstances."
The incident was news to the eighth grade student's mother who was able to find substitute pants for her daughter.
"I was a little bit in shock," Judy Milligan told The Sentinel. "We went to Target and got a pair of yoga pants."
