An Ohio woman on her way to Detroit probably never imagined that she'd need to find another vehicle to get there because of her vape pen.

Crystal Mounts stopped at an IHOP in Woodhaven, Michigan. She sat in the parking lot and took the batteries out of the device charger. Removing the batteries caused sparks to fly and the SUV caught on fire, WDIV reported.

>> Read more trending news

"It just started slow and went quick," Mounts told WDIV. "When I went to take it off, it shot sparks. There was a bag nearby where it was charging. I realized there was still too much smoke, realized the smoke was under the pedal."

Her 5-year-old son jumped out of the car, and the mother and son then watched the vehicle burn and called for help, WDIV reported.

The U.S. Fire Administration which is keeping track of fires that are related to vape pens, said there were 195 fires caused by the devices from 2009 to 2016.

Mounts has reached out to the manufacturer of the device.

About the Author

Featured

Peggy Harris (foreground) stocks the shelves at Sandy's IGA, which is the only grocery store in town, Tuesday, October 7, 2025, in Sparta. Hancock County has one of the highest rates of childhood food insecurity in the country. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC