2 people suffer second-degree burns after vape pen explodes

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Florida (KTRK) -- Two people suffered second-degree burns after a woman claims her vape pen exploded.

"It burns, it hurts, there's a lot of bruising around it," said Melisa Hernandez, describing her injuries.

Hernandez said she bought the batteries for a vape pen from Tampa Vapor in Bloomingdale.

The owner of the shop, Mike Synychak, said he required new customers to sign a disclaimer explaining what not to do with batteries, but Hernandez believes she did everything right and said the batteries were inside a plastic container away from potentially harmful objects, according to WFLA.

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Hernandez said the battery exploded in her bag while she was carrying her 3-year-old daughter.

"I heard the explosion and then I saw the fire shoot and I thought somebody hit me with a firework," Hernandez said.

She said the fire from the explosion hit her aunt in the face, leaving both of them with second-degree burns.

"Batteries themselves store a tremendous amount of power so they need to be treated carefully and with respect," Synychak said.

But Hernandez said there has to be a safer way.

It's still unclear which company manufactured the batteries because the labeling had melted off.