Fond du Lac fire chief urges caution after e-reader combusts

FOND DU LAC - Fond du Lac Fire and Rescue has notified the maker of an e-reader which spontaneously combusted on March 14 at Roberts Elementary School.

Fire Chief Pete O’Leary said the fire department reported the incident to both Acer Corporation and theConsumer Product Safety Commission.

According to school officials, a student told a staff member that smoke was coming from a side room adjacent to their classroom.  The teacher saw smoke coming from an e-reader that was sitting on a counter, and a staff member took the device outside the building and placed it a safe distance away from the school.

Students were moved from the affected area to an alternate location within the building while the area was ventilated.

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The e-reader was not being charged or in use at the time. School officials say there was smoke, but no flames, and believe the device combusted due to a malfunctioning battery that had melted the case.

E-readers are designed primarily for the purpose of reading digital books. The tablet was made by Acer in 2014, and there are no recalls on it, O’Leary said.

He urges people who use electronic devices that operate on lithium-ion batteries to exercise caution and says anyone with a similar model should contact the Acer Corporation Customer Care at 866-695-2237.

Anyone who experiences a malfunctioning device, should de-energize the device if possible, take it outside and call 911, O'Leary said.

Reach Sharon Roznik at sroznik@fdlreporter.com or 920-907-7936; on Twitter: @sharonroznik