A dad has recounted the “horrific” moment his e-cigarette burst and left him screaming and feeling like he’d “been in a fireball” after his e-cigarette burst into flames in his pocket.

Robert Kane, 37, likened the agony to “having his leg placed in an oven” and described how the caustic battery acid gnawed through his thigh and lower leg. He’s now sounding the alarm for those who vape, warning that they are ‘potentially carrying a ticking time bomb in their pocket’. Graphic photos reveal the severity of Mr Kane’s injuries.

He later took legal action against the vape shop where he purchased the e-cigarette, securing over £20,000 in damages. Mr Kane, who switched from cigarettes to e-cigarettes as part of a health drive, was shopping with his daughter when his jeans ‘began fizzing and sparking like a firework’ while they were standing outside a B&M store in Baguley, Wythenshawe.

Graphic photos showed the layers of skin burned off in the explosion ( 
Image:
RobertKane/SimonLennon)
He has embarked on a campaign to raise awareness of the dangers posed by the machines, telling the Manchester Evening News that people “need to be aware of the dangers” after the shock explosion.He said: “People need to know how dangerous e-cigarettes are. It all happened in a flash. The pain was incredible – like my leg had been put in an oven.

“I went to a vape shop as e-cigs were supposed to be healthier, but instead they scarred me for life and I’m back on the cigs instead.” Now I tell anyone vaping is not worth it. They are potentially walking around with a ticketing time bomb in their pocket. I got third degree burns in seconds from a battery and have the scars to prove it.”

Robert switched to vaping in April 2019, following government claims that it’s a healthier alternative to smoking. He claimed that when he purchased his e-cigarette and batteries from a store, no one provided him with safety instructions on proper storage.

Describing the harrowing incident, he said: “It was the same sound as when you first light a firework. And then I had this incredible burning pain on my leg. I saw some smoke so I pulled down my jeans and pants to my knees, but then realised I was naked. So, I pulled up my pants quickly and then there was some sparks and a second bang.”

Robert said doctors told him his wounds were some of the worst they had ever seen ( 
Image:
RobertKane/SimonLennon)
After the explosion, Robert found the scorched battery on the ground, which he later picked up. His sister hurried him to Wythenshawe hospital, where he recounted being treated with a warm water shower to cleanse the battery acid from his wound. The engineering technician reported that doctors informed him the acid had corroded three layers of skin and described it as one of the most severe cases they’d encountered.

He recounted: “It was horrific, like I had been in a fireball. The nurses were peeling off my skin. It had burnt so deep you could see my muscle. It was 11 out of 10 pain – indescribable.” He endured a 12-day stay in a burns unit, receiving morphine and antibiotics, all the while anxiously waiting to find out if surgery would be necessary.

Mr Kane explained: “I didn’t want to have two disfigured legs, so I said no to a skin graft. Every few days they removed all the dead skin and peeled it off and it looked horrible like a snake shedding its skin. I thought it would never get better.”

He endured a gruelling six-month recovery and was forced to shun all sun exposure and holidays abroad for a year and a half due to the risks from UV rays. He’s now sounding the alarm for those using external battery-powered vapes, cautioning: “Don’t do it, never keep batteries in your pocket, and if you have them in a bag keep them in a carry case as they could blow up at anytime,” he warned.

Catherine Citron, a personal injury expert from Sharston’s Express Solicitors, who secured his compensation, remarked: “Robert was trying to be healthier by not smoking tobacco and now has been left with a badly scarred leg for life. His injuries were horrific and not what you expect to happen from a shop bought e cigarette battery.”

She added that any outlet vending e-cigarettes or vapes must provide proper safety guidance: “Any premises selling e-cigarettes or vapes need to give appropriate safety advice.”