For most, it doesn’t come as a shock that our media outlets sensationalize and even propagate bad information. Those close to ecigs and vaping are all too aware of how bad information gets put out as fact.
Let’s look at a recent story featured at an Albuquerque NM news channel. I almost hate to repost this type of propaganda, but it needs to be called out for what it is. Here’s how the story goes…
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CORRALES, N.M. –
A fake cigarette sparked the Romero Fire in the Corrales Bosque back in June, officials say.
Action 7 News has learned that three member of Corrales’ Youth Conservation Corps, working for the fire department, were walking in the Bosque looking for flames when one dropped an electronic cigarette.
Evidently, the heat source in the fake cigarette was hot enough to catch some cotton on fire. The blaze grew to 360 acres before being extinguished.
“I was surprised to hear that a device like this would start a fire, but after researching, (we learned) they get up to temperatures to cause a fire if they land in an ignition source,” said Fire Chief Anthony Martinez.
“This employee was carrying a device that’s advertised as being safe to smoke in bed. People are encouraged to use them to help with smoking, so this is the real irony of it,” said Village Councilor Mick Harper.
Corrales leaders said the fire was ruled an accident and the Village employees will not be charged.
“Well, shame on him for not being more careful,” said resident Deborah Desantis. “Everybody just needs to be more aware of what they’re doing.”
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The story gets interesting when you proceed to the article comments- it appears this reporter didn’t like being called out.
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Randy Padilla
Jim Bulkowski· 32 years old
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I’m personally having a hard time believing this story and would like to see that outcome reproduced in a similar manner. Use an ecig and drop it on some dry cotton in a controlled environment and see if it lights on fire even once out of 100. I know the outcome I’d bet on. One last point to consider… eCigs make contact with the lips -if it were possible to start a fire simply by dropping one, don’t you think that in that claim alone, it would not be possible to use an ecig as we do? I mean- if it’s hot enough to start fires, yet cool enough to touch to the lips…
Possible ways this COULD happen in my opinion:
1. User takes ecig and presses the button down until the atomizer coils glow (must be a manual ecig) without the mouthpiece on. The person would then need to take the ecig to the flammable material with the button still held. This wouldn’t happen on accident, as the button needs to be held down or the tiny coil immediately cools down.
2. There is no #2, apart from the user hacking at the battery with an axe. While thermal runaway is a possibility in any battery, the story claims the user simply dropped his ecig to cause the fire- like it’s a lit cigarette butt or something. Ecigs do not work this way.