Samsung smartphone battery catches on fire, causes second-degree burns

Samsung battery fire
Samsung batteries have a rare, but scary history of catching on fire

A South Korean man who suffered burns from his Samsung smartphone battery is probably one of the few people who wouldn't eagerly recommend the Galaxy Note.

The lithium-ion battery, belonging to a 2011 Galaxy Note according to local newspapers, exploded in the man's pants pocket over the weekend.

This caused the unidentified man to suffer second-degree burns and a one-inch wound on his thigh, said to Bupyeong Fire Station officials in a report by the Associated Press.

Fire officials confirmed that the lithium-ion battery belonged to a Samsung smartphone, but said that the loose battery wasn't in the phone at the time of the fire.

Eye on lithium-ion batteries

This is hardly the first case in which a lithium-ion battery has caught fire.

In fact, it's the second time a that Samsung smartphone caught fire in South Korea alone.

The incidents aren't limited to "The Land of The Morning Calm," as evidenced by an explosion of Samsung's prized Galaxy S3 while in user's car in Ireland last summer.

While it's statistically rare to have a lithium-ion battery explode, such occurrences have lead to recalls, device shortages, and even deaths.

Scariest of all are incidents that aren't limited to a person's pocket, like the recently grounded Boeing 787 Dreamliners. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the new passenger jets have caught fire due to their lithium-ion batteries.

Via Associated Press

Matt Swider