Topsfield, MA – A 16-year-old girl from Topsfield, Massachusetts, is recovering from minor burns after a portable phone charger exploded, causing a fire at her friend’s house on Saturday.
Audra Cataldo was watching a movie with friends when her phone, which was magnetically attached to a portable charger, suddenly caught fire.
“I looked down—my whole arm was covered in flame,” Cataldo said.
The flames scorched her sweatshirt and left small burns on her arm. A loud sizzling noise followed, and the back of the phone blew up, filling the room with thick black smoke and causing panic among the teens.
“We were afraid the house would go down too,” Cataldo added.
Johannes Booy, the father of Cataldo’s friend, noted the potential severity of the situation. “If they were asleep in bed, it would have been catastrophic,” he said. “They wouldn’t have had time to get out.” The fire, which started in a bedroom where the teens were sitting on a mattress, melted the pillows on the bed. The girls managed to evacuate safely as firefighters arrived to extinguish the blaze.
Cataldo had been using a portable charger purchased on Amazon, which was plugged in at the time of the explosion. She described the experience as “pretty traumatic” and has vowed to avoid using portable chargers in the future.
Topsfield, located in Essex County about 10 miles from Salem, Massachusetts, saw a quick response from firefighters. Fire Chief Jenifer Collins-Brown reported that the blaze was under control within 45 minutes, limiting the damage to around $5,000.
The Massachusetts State Fire Marshal’s Office is assisting with the investigation.
Fire officials have issued safety reminders about the use of lithium-ion batteries, urging caution with portable chargers and other devices.
“We commend the young people in the home for recognizing the danger, calling 911, and evacuating immediately,” Chief Collins-Brown said.
For more information on fire safety and lithium-ion battery precautions, visit the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal’s Office or Consumer Product Safety Commission.
