Man's pants catch fire after iPhone explodes in his pocket

ST. PETERS, Mo. — A Missouri man has a fear of cellphones after his iPhone began to smoke and eventually set his pants on fire.

Ronnie Moore, 21, said he was enjoying the Fourth of July with family in St. Peters, Missouri, when he "felt a sharp pain" on his thigh and noticed that his iPhone was causing a fire in his pants, KSDK reported.

>> Read more trending stories

"I started hearing sizzling, and I'm like, 'You're on fire,' and he's like, 'Mom, I'm on fire,' and I'm like, 'Get out of the truck, get out of the truck!'" Moore’s mother, Terry, said.

Moore told KSDK that he tossed his pants off and saw some pieces of his phone fall out with smoke coming off of them.

"It was on the ground and it was just bubbling. There was smoke everywhere," Moore said. "I have no idea what could have happened, what could have caused that," Terry Moore said.

After suffering the burns, Moore said he doesn’t anticipate getting a new cellphone anytime soon.

"I really don't want anyone's life in jeopardy. I praise God that my son survived. It could have been worse. But I think we need to bring this to the public's attention," Terry told KSDK.

Apple would not give a comment to KSDK about the incident, saying that it was not something that happened often. Moore was taken to the hospital with first- and second-degree burns and said he plans to file a complaint with the company.

Cox Media Group