To the best of my knowledge, all of the incidents in which laptops, iPods, and cell phones that have exploded or otherwise gone up in flames in recent years have ended with only minor injuries to those nearby. A little burn on the leg, a little smoke inhalation... nuisances, really, but otherwise everyone has come out of these things OK.
That all changed recently, as coroners have concluded that a Vancouver, Canada resident was killed after his laptop burst into flames, igniting his couch on fire, and ultimately burning down his house, killing him in the process.
The incident actually took place six months ago, but the inquest was only recently concluded, with the notebook ultimately taking the fall.
While in this case, a fatal mistake seems to have been made on the part of the user -- leaving the laptop on the couch instead of a table blocked the ventilation ports, which contributed to the laptop's severe overheating -- but regardless it seems to be the first case on record in which someone has actually died due to a laptop overheating.
Meanwhile, laptops and their flame-prone batteries continue to be recalled over heat issues. Apple is also embroiled in a semi-scandal over over a recent rash of iPhones bursting into flames. This simply isn't an issue that's going away -- and arguably it's one that's getting worse.
CBCNews offers some helpful advice for all laptop users to prevent heat-related accidents, and they are recommendations well worth reading. The most critical of them:
> Never leave a laptop on a soft or flammable surface, as pillows, couches, bedspreads, and rugs will bunch up and block ventilation ports on the bottom of the machine.
> Always turn your laptop off (or, at the very least, put in "suspend" mode) before stowing it in a briefcase or bag (for the same reason).
> Clean out your laptop vents periodically using compressed air.
And one from me:
> If your laptop starts overheating regularly (where it's uncomfortable to the touch or it shuts down automatically) despite cleaning out the vents, it's time to replace it.