Small Fire Caused By One Of The Devices In A Suitcase At Logan Airport

A fire in a suitcase in the cargo hold of a plane at Logan Airport caused by an electronic cigarette has prompted the Massachusetts Fire Marshal to raise concerns about the devices being transported on commercial airplanes.

The fire occurred August 9, according to a report from the Associated Press. It was contained to a single piece of luggage, and was extinguished by a JetBlue baggage handler before the plane departed on a flight to Buffalo. The incident did force an evacuation of the aircraft while the situation was dealt with.

Massachusetts Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said the device somehow turned on in the suitcase. In a letter to the FAA, Coan said that, had the fire occurred in flight, "a major tragedy could have occurred."

U.S. Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) said he will ask the FAA to look into safety issues surrounding e-cigarettes. Markey and other U.S. Senators had previously urged the Department of Transportation to finalize rules banning e-cigarette use in the passenger cabins of commercial airplanes. Senator Markey said in a news release that he would ask the FAA to investigate whether e-cigarettes should be allowed on airplanes at all, including in the cargo holds, given the risks arising from the Logan incident.

“Just because you don’t light up an e-cigarette doesn’t mean it can’t spark a fire. This troubling incident at Boston’s airport is a warning for the entire airline industry and every person who steps onto an airplane,” said Senator Markey, a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. “Until this fire is fully investigated by the FAA, the agency should consider banning e-cigarettes from the cargo holds of passenger planes before tragedy strikes.”

“Our federal aviation experts and regulators need to take swift and significant action to protect the public,” concluded Senator Markey.

The FAA said it would investigate the Logan incident. The person whose luggage caught on fire will reportedly not face any charges.

(Electronic cigarette pictured in public domain image)

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.markey.senate.gov