I never thought something I only saw in the news would actually happen to me. I'm still super shaken up, so I'm sharing this experience for consumer safety.
I was out, but the apartment fire alarm went off. The management office called, I gave them the entry password, and the staff went inside my unit to check things out.
What they found was that a Xiaomi power bank I had left on my bedroom desk had exploded and ignited. It wasn't charging, it wasn't being used, and it wasn't connected to any other electronic device; it was just sitting there in storage.
There was also a MacBook, a camera, and other power banks on the same desk, none of which were charging or in use, but the fire only came from the Xiaomi power bank product.
I think if it had spread even a little bit, it could have turned into a major fire. (There were USB/C-type cables nearby, but they weren't connected to this power bank, and the cables themselves were undamaged and fine.)
What was personally even more shocking was the fact that the evening before the incident, I had carried this exact power bank with me in the cabin when flying home from an overseas trip. Nothing happened during the flight, and the accident happened at home the next day, but realizing belatedly that this product could spontaneously combust anywhere, anytime, gives me major anxiety. That's why I felt the need to share this for consumer safety rather than just dismissing it as bad luck.
Currently,
The purpose of this post is not to bash a specific company, but to share my experience to prevent similar accidents, especially since a lot of people keep power banks on their desks or carry them around.
Just in case,
Any shared experience or advice would be a huge help.
"Mandatory Safety Recall: Did your power bank fly recently? Users are scrambling to check their old Mi models and debating whether 'just sitting there' is the new riskiest activity. Time to invest in an ammo can, apparently."
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