Spontaneously combusting 15-inch MacBook Pro gives user shocking wake-up call

An Apple MacBook Pro owner has escaped with seemingly minor injuries after the laptop unexpectedly caught on fire. Reddit user u/Squeezieful posted a couple of images of the damaged 15-inch MacBook Pro (see below), and it is clear to see on the underside that the fire was most likely caused by a faulty battery. The OP claims to have burned their hand while removing the flaming MacBook Pro from underneath their bed. Even though the owner only states they received “minor burns on my hand”, if they hadn’t acted quickly enough the situation could have rapidly escalated into a conflagration that resulted in major property damage and more serious injury.

It appears the owner had simply placed the Apple MacBook Pro under their bed for the night and the device was not plugged in for charging. Fumes issuing from the burning case of the laptop and presumably from the lithium-ion battery itself woke the user, who then proceeded to remove the device from under the bed to a carpeted area, with the resulting fire also burning the carpet. It could be seen as a lucky escape for the OP in this case, who could have been overwhelmed by the noxious fumes or further injured by fire if bed covers or other materials had been ignited by the burning 15-inch MacBook Pro.

A couple of years ago, Apple issued a recall for 15-inch MacBook Pro laptops that were sold between September 2015 and February 27. There had been recorded incidents of the batteries in these devices swelling and exploding, causing damage to property and becoming a fire hazard. The model mostly affected was the MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015), and it appears the unlucky owner in this case may have been in possession of one of these faulty MacBooks. However, in a worrying and potentially damaging turn for Apple, the OP submitted the laptop's serial number into the battery recall program form only to learn that their MacBook Pro 15 had “already been serviced for this issue”.

While this is a case involving a somewhat aging laptop that had already been singled out because of its battery problems, MacBook Pro users should not have to feel concerned about the potential for their Apple device to catch on fire. On top of that basic expectation, it seems the possibly faulty battery this particular 2015 MacBook Pro laptop originally had was replaced with another likely faulty cell. The OP states that they did not have any issues with the laptop beforehand and that there had been no overheating caused by extensive usage. The user also comments that they are currently waiting to hear back from Apple about this incendiary incident.

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