Victim Shares Distressing Experience After Home Is Destroyed by Explosion of Fan-Equipped Clothing

“The battery of the fan-equipped clothing exploded while charging. The second floor of my house was severely burned, and most of the furniture and appliances were destroyed. Even precious metals that I cherished turned black, resulting in extensive damage.”

 

The clothing, equipped with a fan powered by a lithium-ion battery, is an essential cooling item for workers in construction sites during the peak summer. However, unexpected issues have arisen. Mr. A,

 

“I purchased a fan-equipped garment from Chinese company X via an online shop in mid-July. The price was about 10,000 yen. On the first day of use, everything was fine, but on the second day, something went wrong. Suddenly, the fan stopped working. I thought the battery might be dead, so I connected it to the charging cable when I got home and went out shopping. About an hour and a half after starting the charge, I received a call from my parent at home saying, ‘The house is on fire.’”

 

The fire quickly consumed the room, resulting in the devastating scene shown in the photo below.

 

“Not only was my room affected, but almost the entire second floor and the stairs were charred. Out of my three pet cats, one died from carbon monoxide poisoning, and another was in a critical state with its tongue hanging out and eyes turning white.” (said Mr. A)

 

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the fire department, but it is known that lithium-ion batteries can overheat and ignite due to overcharging. When asked about the incident, Chinese manufacturer X responded, “We are cooperating with the fire department to investigate the cause, so we cannot provide an answer at this time. If our product is found to be the cause, we will compensate for the damages.”

 

According to the Tokyo Fire Department, fires caused by products with lithium-ion batteries have increased from 19 incidents to 167 over the past decade. An employee from the Japanese manufacturer “Kuchoukufu,” which first introduced fan-equipped garments, shares their perspective:

 

“Domestic fan-equipped garments are designed with proper shielding. Only products that have passed the Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Law conformity tests can be sold. Our products are equipped with safety circuits to prevent overcharging, so there have been no incidents of ignition. Chinese-made products might have had insufficient measures. If you notice any strange smells, overheating, deformation, or unusual noises, you should immediately stop using the product.”

 

Before purchasing a fan-equipped garment, it seems important to verify whether it has passed safety inspections and to ensure the product is reliable.

From the September 6-13, 2024, combined issue of ‘FRIDAY.’