One NYPD precinct is trying to spread the message about the potential dangers of people sleeping with their cellphones.
In particular, the NYPD 33rd Precinct warns people not to place a cellphone under a pillow to charge it or while they are sleeping.
Accompanying the tweet are images of a cellphone that appears to have caught fire, leaving an ugly burn hole in the pillow.
The images appear to be from a 2014 case, in which a teenager from Texas was awakened to her phone smoldering under her pillow. She was unharmed, but the phone was totally destroyed.
In that case, Samsung, the phone maker, investigated the incident and found that the battery was a replacement and not an original Samsung product. Additionally, Samsung includes in its user guide a warning about the fire risk involved when a device’s air flow is restricted.
Consumers should refer to the user guide for warnings and tips on cellphone charging and usage.
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