Recalled Samsung Galaxy Note 7 allegedly burns Jeep Grand Cherokee

Earlier this month Samsung announced a voluntary recall for their brand new Note 7 smartphones.

The reason? Thirty-five instances of the Samsung smartphone catching fire while charging have been reported.

Not much of a surprise then that a Florida man is now claiming his Jeep Grand Cherokee was turned crispy in a fiery explosion that was caused by the new Samsung smartphone he left charging in the car.

According to Nathan Dornacher, in a post on Facebook, he and his wife Lydia had been to a garage sale on Labour Day morning and picked up a desk for their daughter. While they were unloading the desk from the SUV, Nathan had left his brand new Note 7 charging in the centre console and the car running with the air conditioning on.

The family was inside the house when the phone started a fire inside the family’s Jeep Grand Cherokee.

When Dornacher returned to the car a little later to retrieve his phone, the cabin was on fire. The fire was allegedly started by the Samsung Note 7 that was left charging. He ran into the house at this time to look for a fire extinguisher. While he searched, his wife Lydia called the fire department.

Looking out the window moments later, the family was shocked to see Nathan’s pride and joy engulfed in flames with thick black smoke pouring out the windows. The family were even able to hear the airbags explode as they watched the SUV burn.

Dornacher claims his Grand Cherokee wasn’t in stock and had many upgrades, including a bored-out 6.4 litre HEMI motor. He’s glad no one was hurt in the incident but laments the loss of his beloved vehicle. And although having owned every generation of Samsung Note since the first, he says he’s unlikely to bring another into his home or car.

In a statement released to Fox 13 News, a Samsung spokesperson had this to say: “We are aware of the incident, and we are working with Mr. Dornacher to investigate his case and ensure we do everything we can for him. Consumer safety is Samsung’s highest priority. With regard to the Galaxy Note7, we are asking owners to take advantage of the Product Exchange Program announced on Friday of last week. The programme offers Note 7 owners the opportunity to exchange the phone for a new one.

More details on the programme can be found here.

Florida’s St. Petersburgh Fire Rescue is investigating the incident to determine the cause and circumstances of the blaze. No official word from that investigation has been released at this time.

In an update posted to Facebook yesterday, the Dornachers said they’ve been in touch with Samsung, who are said to be receptive and keeping open lines of communication with the family. The company is apparently sending one of their own investigators out to review the incident.

If you own a Samsung Note 7, it goes without saying that you should get it exchanged immediately.