The dangers of e-cigarettes are not all quite known yet. This is a disturbing story..the dramatic moment an e-cigarette exploded in fireball engulfing a barmaid's face and wrecking her dress. Reported in the Daily Mail as well as across many other media outlets...

Laura Baty was serving at the Buck Inn Hotel in Richmond, North Yorkshire, when she heard a almighty bang and saw fire coming towards her.

Before the teenager had time to think following the explosion on Saturday, she could feel the fire coming at her, adding: 'I felt the heat as I ran away'.

a picture of the moment an e-cigarette exploded in a fireball.

Miss Baty said: ‘I was about to give somebody their change and I heard the bang. I could see the fire coming at me and I felt the heat as I ran away.I started crying hysterically and my arm was all black. My dress caught on fire as I ran away and I just didn't know what was happening.  A customer came and took me in to the bathroom to calm me down. She washed down my arm which was all black and I still didn't know what had happened.’

The e-cigarette belonged to 21-year-old Stewart Paterson, who was also working in the pub at the time, and has been trying to quit smoking since December last year. 

The e-cig, which also left a customer with a red mark on their stomach, belonged to a colleague who had been charging it on an iPad charger.

It eventually burnt itself out on the pub floor.

Richmond fire officer Steve Bake said he was concerned about the incident.

He added: ‘If that had happened in someone’s house, it could have set curtains or furniture ablaze so there is a clearly a big risk here. Especially if someone has no smoke detectors.’

If you google exploding e-cigarettes you may not be surprised to find that this is not the first incident of this kind. Make sure that you are careful with any device that needs to be plugged in to be charged.

If you would like help and advice to quit smoking just email me [email protected] or call me on 07980 233160