3 Things to Do When Vaporizers Explode
By Angel Abcede on Feb. 03, 2017AURORA, Neb. -- The last thing any manager would think of happening at their store is a customer’s purse exploding into flames. But for Jason Davis, general manager of a Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores location in Aurora, Neb., that was precisely the case.
Customer Rachel Lampe was leaving Davis’ store with her daughter and pet Jack Russell terrier when the incident happened, according to a blog post on Love’s website.
“As I was leaving the store, I heard a very loud bang and smelled smoke,” said Lampe. “Then, [I saw] the fire hanging off my arm.”
The batteries in the vaporizer inside Lampe’s purse malfunctioned and caused the handbag to burst into flames.
“I was in shock and terrified as you can imagine,” Lampe said. “I was holding the hand of my 6-year-old [daughter]. [Davis] showed up and got my daughter against the building and put the fire out with my fountain drink and some water.”
“I heard a loud boom, almost like a gunshot,” Davis said. “I ran outside and doused the flames. I didn’t really think anything of it, and the whole thing was over in less than a minute.”
Here’s three lessons retailers can take from Davis’ quick response and subsequent actions …
1. Think quickly
Justin Janacek, safety manager for Oklahoma City-based Love’s, tipped his hat to Davis for helping ensure the incident had a safe conclusion. “He reacted well,” Janacek said. “It’s all about acting fast. In an emergency situation, time is of the essence. You definitely want to extinguish the fire quickly, and he used what he had in quick access.”
2. Know fire safety
“Ensure the fire is away from other possible sources that may fuel the fire and use ABC-rated fire extinguishers if time permits,” Janacek said. “If the fire is by the [fuel] pumps, make sure to trigger the emergency fuel stops. If the fire is small, get to the source and extinguish it. Only do this if it is small and controllable. If it gets too large, evacuate the area and call 911.”
3. Remember the golden rule
Though no one was hurt, Lampe’s wedding ring, which was in her purse, melted in the blaze. She also lost nearly $400 in cash. However, none of that seemed to concern Lampe’s daughter. She was heartbroken about her mom no longer having a purse, the blog post said. Davis stepped in to resolve the situation.
“After cleaning up my mess, I needed to wash my hands and try to calm my daughter down,” Lampe said. “She told Jason, ‘Oh no, my mommy does not have a purse.’ Exiting the washroom, that by the way was very clean, he was there, and was so concerned, and told me to get a fresh drink and no women should be without a purse. He said to pick out a new one and he would take care of the bill.”
Davis explained his decision as an easy way to further resolve the situation because the daughter was still extremely upset and Lampe was clearly in shock. Lampe couldn’t bring herself to accept the offer of a new purse to replace the one she lost, but Davis insisted. Lampe compromised by letting her daughter pick out a simple wallet to replace the charred purse.