Fidget Spinners Are Now Bursting Into Flames and Terrifying Children

We've seen many versions of fidget spinners already and some of them turned out to be grand like the rocket-powered one or the running Super Mario spinner. However, a new wave of electronic spinners has made headlines, not for their addictive spin but for their ability to start a fire. Quickly escalating their reputation as stress toys to hazardous devices.

[Image Source: WBRC/NBC25News]

Fidget spinners are on fire

Local news sources have been recently reporting incidents of fidget spinners being responsible for starting small household fires. Two specific incidents in the US gained mass attention as the users detailed out how the electronic spinners wreaked havoc inside their house.

Unaware of their fire-starting ability, Michelle Carr from Michigan regularly treats her kids, including herself, with new fidget spinners.

"I always pick up a new one for the kids, for myself", said Carr. "I like to spin them. They are fun".

But her latest experience with them is far from being fun and that a small, harmless toy turned out to be dangerous. Why? Because these little playthings have been outfitted with electronics such as rechargeable batteries and built-in Bluetooth speakers. After charging the toy device for less than 30 minutes Carr said it had caught fire.

"It's the same cord I use for my baby monitor and I just simply had it plugged in like this and it was laying right here on fire".

She was unsure how the device caught fire and claimed that it didn't come with charging directions nor with an actual charger. Carr has definitely learned her lesson and said that she wouldn't purchase another one, giving a friendly advice to those who are still eager to use them.

"I personally won't buy another one because of the fear of it. But I know there are tons of kids who want to go get them, but if you plug them in, just stay by and make sure it's charged and it doesn't catch."

On a similar incident, Kimberly Allums from Alabama reported that her son's electronic spinner caught fire as it was charging. It had only been plugged in for less than 45 minutes when it started to burst in flames.

"He noticed that it burst into flames and he just started screaming. I was downstairs and all I heard was ‘fire..fire and the fidget spinner had literally, It was smoking, It was in flames".

Again, this electronic spinner in question came without any electronics guidelines. "Anytime, you have anything that needs to be charged, we really need to be paying attention to the manufacturers of these, doing our research", said Allums.

Electronic fidget spinners

Being a little curious of these fire-starting spinners, we conducted a quick online window shopping (or Windows shopping, according to some). We found that for as small as $6, you can get a glowing fidget spinner with a built-in Bluetooth speaker. Most of which are unbranded and are "Made in China". Although users have been warned that a typical fidget spinner is a serious choking hazard, electronic spinners are being marketed without any cautions and user instructions. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is investigating Allums' claims after she made them aware of the incident.

Sources: WEYI, WBRC

SEE ALSO: If You Thought Fidget Spinners Were Bad, Just Wait Until You See Toothpick Crossbows