Fire Department, Indiana
It was the sound that came first. Pop…pop…pop…pop.
In the middle of the night, the man’s partner woke up to what “sounded like popcorn popping in the microwave,” he told us. At first, the woman didn’t register what was going on, then she realized the popping sound was coming from her phone, a Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus that she had put on charge before going to bed, and one that was now sizzling on her carpet.
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Less than two minutes passed from the moment the couple noticed the Galaxy S25 Plus in flames to the moment the fire was tamed. But from what the user has told us, the damage — physical, emotional, and psychological — has stretched far beyond that night.
The user, who asked to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, agreed to speak with Android Authority to help others understand what it’s really like when a modern smartphone suffers a catastrophic battery fire, and what people should, and shouldn’t, do if it ever happens to them.
While smartphone battery fires are not very common, and there’s no evidence to suggest that this is a widespread issue with Samsung phones on the market, the user’s experience is an important reminder of what can go wrong when a phone does catch fire, and how to react in a situation like this.
This report is based on an interview conducted by Android Authority, official fire department documents reviewed by us, written communication between the user and Samsung, and Samsung’s acknowledgment of the incident.
The fire
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