A teenage girl’s vape started fire that burned down her family’s home – The Georgia Sun

A guilt-stricken teen was forced to confess shed been vaping after a vape shed thrown away set the house ablaze and left the family homeless.

Mom Heidi Johnson was downstairs with her four-year-old son and a friend when the smoke alarms began to go off at around 7.15 pm last month [April 15th].

The carer went upstairs to check them and was horrified to be faced with flames and plumes of thick black smoke coming from her 16-year-old daughters room.

Racing downstairs and ushering her loved ones from the house, the mother-of-three called the fire brigade who arrived at 7.30 pm.

Its believed the lithium in the battery of a dead cherry cola-flavored vape, which had been binned as it had run out, sparked the devastating blaze.

Her teenage daughter, who had nipped to a shop with a friend, was horrified when she returned home to discover the house had been ruined and shamefacedly admitted the vape was hers.

Heidi is sharing her ordeal to warn about the dangers of vaping and encourage the installation of more bins for proper vape disposal

Shocking pictures show the property and all their possessions covered in soot forcing the children to live with family members while the 37-year-old lives out of her car with her four-year-old dog Bubbles.

Now Heidi is sharing her ordeal to warn others about the dangers of vaping and encourage more places to install bins where they can be properly disposed.

Heidi, from Batley, West Yorkshire, said: I was just in the living room and my little boy and my friend were in the kitchen when the fire alarms started going off.

Now and again the alarms go off and theres no problems.

I checked the kitchen one and it wasnt flashing red, neither was the living room one.

I thought it was probably just a dickie [alarm].

When I got to the top of the stairs, it was just black. I couldnt see anything.

There was a bit of a light coming out of my daughters bedroom. I pushed the door back and it was all up in flames.

It was the week after my daughters 16th birthday, so all her birthday things were gone, shes got nothing

I never expected it. When I saw it I screamed.

My friend and my son were at the bottom of the stairs. I told them to go, I said get out, get out! and pushed them next door.

It went so quickly, it was so scary seeing the flames.

It was the week after my daughters 16th birthday, so all her birthday things were gone, shes got nothing. Wed just decorated her bedroom and bought her a new telly.

Shes devastated, absolutely heartbroken. Its just a shock. I dont think Ive even accepted what has gone on.

The fire brigade turned up and at first they thought it was a gas leak.

It turned out it was my daughters vape, but it had been there for ages. She said it was dead.

It was just in the bin in her room. She said it had been in there all day.

The thing is, my daughter wasnt even allowed vapes in the house.

Ive already banned vapes from my house, but I cant put it on her. Its just one of those things that has happened. I know shes taken it worse, because it was her vape. She blames herself for it.

Weve been left completely homeless, its really affecting my kids

The fire brigade said it was the lithium in the battery that had leaked out of the vape and caused the fire.

Heidis rented house is now ruined beyond repair, as not only was the upstairs destroyed by the smoke and fire, but the downstairs suffered water damage too.

Her children are staying with family members, while she sleeps in her car with her dog every night until they can find alternative accommodation.

The single mom says she feels heartbroken and that she has been left with nothing due to a vape.

Heidi said: I cant even go in the house, even if I wanted to get something out, its so dangerous.

Its sickening, Im 37 years old and Ive got nothing apart from my car, its horrible.

The thing is my daughter wasnt even allowed vapes but its just one of those things that happened.

Theres no proper disposal bins for them, theyre just getting thrown left, right, and centre

Its all gone, it burnt everything. The kids have no toys or everyday things.

Weve been left completely homeless, its really affecting my kids. I just want to be normal and back with my kids.

Its reality. Im just plodding along and trying to do what I can do for my children, but it just isnt working.

Everything just seems to be getting worse. Its hard, Im trying to deal with one thing and then another happens.

Grateful no one was hurt, Heidi hopes that in sharing her story she can highlight the potential dangers of vapes and the importance of properly disposing of them.

Heidi said: Ill survive. Im here and alive. Just dont vape. At the end of the day, it isnt worth it.

When youre in my situation and youre living in the car with your dog separated from your kids. Its all because of a vape.

They dont even have any warnings or proper disposal places for them.

Something so dangerous and theres no proper disposal bins for them, theyre just getting thrown left, right, and centre.

You dont think its going to happen because its dead and its useless but its taken my whole house out.

Im so scared of them now, I never want to see one again.

My daughters trying to keep going but shes suffering, all my kids are and Im not even able to be around them at times like this. Its just crazy.

It could happen any time, anywhere and theres nowhere to get rid of them. There hopefully will be soon.

I just dont want this to happen to anyone else. You dont think it can happen, I never even knew it could happen.

You can donate to Heidis fundraiser here.

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A teenage girl's vape started fire that burned down her family's home - The Georgia Sun