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E-Cigarette Explosion Burns OC Man's Face And Sets Fire To Bed

SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com) — An Orange County resident suffered minor burns to his face and hand when his e-cigarette exploded while he was smoking in bed early Monday.

The explosion sent half of the e-cigarette into the ceiling and started a fire at the young man's apartment, located at 100 East MacArthur Boulevard, according to Capt. Steve Concialdi of the Orange County Fire Authority.

Firefighters were called around 1:45 a.m. and later arrived to find clothing on the man's bed was still smoldering.

Moments before the combustion, the man told investigators the electronic metal device was making a humming sound and he pulled it away from his mouth.

Pieces of the e-cigarette lodged in the ceiling and the man suffered a cut to his hand and flash burns on his face.

Concialdi says it's unclear why the e-cigarette exploded, "but there have been other reports of this happening."

On Feb. 10, a 17-year-old boy was injured while smoking an e-cigarette in Anaheim.

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