A South Florida man says he was walking along a canal when his mobile phone overheated and spontaneously caught fire.
Jonathan Wright spoke with NBC 6 Responds days after he says his Samsung Galaxy S5 cell phone burst into flames.
"It started to get very, very hot. I switched hands so I didn't drop it in the canal and it burst into flames. I dropped it on the ground and there was nothing I could do but just watch it burn," Wright said.
Wright’s Samsung S5 is not included in the 2016 Samsung Recall urging Galaxy Note 7 users to stop using their phones after reports of the phone's Lithium-Ion batteries overheating and catching fire.
Wright is not the only customer alleging that other cell phone models, not under recall, are catching fire.
"The phones are still out there, the batteries are still out there, people are still walking around with these things not having any clue that it could blow up in their hands literally explode," Wright’s Attorney Chris Mancini told NBC 6.
NBC 6 Responds searched the Consumer Product Safety Commission website and found four other consumers complaining of overheating issues with their Galaxy S5 phones.
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One customer stated, "A puffing sound woke me up to a surreal view of a burning fire by the side of my bed." Another wrote they witnessed their "phone smoking from the point at which the charger plugs into the phone."
NBC Responds units across the country have talked with other Samsung customers who reported their Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note 4 phones overheated.
We reached out to Samsung about Wright’s phone and a representative sent us this statement:
"Samsung takes customer safety very seriously and we stand behind the quality of the millions of Galaxy devices in use in the United States. We have reached out to inspect Mr. Wright’s device and learn more about what happened. Until Samsung thoroughly examines any device, it is impossible to determine the true cause of any incident."
Wright hopes their investigation is quick.
"I think they need to address what’s going on with this because it could be deadly," Wright said.
Wright says he was treated for a burn on his right arm. He considers himself lucky.
"You think it’s just a normal device, but this thing could hurt somebody," Wright said.
Wright said last year he took his phone in to have the battery replaced because it wasn’t charging well. He says it’s been working fine until the fire.
