Electric cigarette explodes in mouth

PENSACOLA, Fla. — A Florida man trying to quit smoking was puffing on an electronic cigarette when a faulty battery caused it to explode in his mouth, fire officials said Wednesday.

The explosion took out some of the victim’s front teeth, a chunk of his tongue and severely burned his face.

“The best analogy is like it was trying to hold a bottle rocket in your mouth when it went off,” said Joseph Parker, division chief for the North Bay Fire Department. “The battery flew out of the tube and set the closet on fire.”

Fire Chief Joseph Miller said the victim contacted the department on Wednesday to thank firefighters and told them he was recovering at a hospital in Mobile, Ala., and anticipated being released later in the day. Officials have not publicly identified him, citing department policy.

But a Facebook page under the name of 57-year- old Tom Holloway of Niceville was filled with well-wishers commenting on the injury and database searches matched his address on the fire report with his name.

Holloway was in his office at home when the device exploded, leaving behind burned chair cushions, pictures, carpet and office equipment.

Investigators do not know the brand of cigarette, type of battery or age of the device, Parker said. It appears the battery was rechargeable lithium because a recharging station and other batteries were in the room, he said.

Thomas Kiklas, co - founder of the Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association, said the industry knows of no problems with the cigarettes or batteries exploding.