An American Airlines flight bound for Miami was abruptly evacuated yesterday at San Francisco International Airport after a laptop caught fire inside a passenger’s bag. According to WSVN, the incident occurred aboard Flight 2045, which was slated to depart at 12:17 p.m. PST and arrive at Miami International Airport by 8:58 p.m. EST.
Passengers began to quickly notice smoke in the cabin before takeoff, leading to an immediate evacuation process. Jan Jankai, recounting his experience to ABC News, said the smell was akin to "burned cables" and described seeing a large flame coming from below his father's seat. Affected passengers had to deplane either through the use of emergency slides or by the jet bridge, as reported by airport officials.
The evacuation process was not without injury, as three passengers suffered minor harm. The San Francisco Fire Department confirmed that one of those individuals required transport to a local hospital for treatment. This incident adds to a growing list of lithium-ion battery fires on aircraft, with the Federal Aviation Administration citing 30 such events this year alone, five involving laptops.
Firefighters were seen handling the incendiary device, submerging what appeared to be a laptop into a tub of water—a recognized method to extinguish lithium-ion battery fires. Despite the chaos, American Airlines has praised its crew for their quick action, stating, "The bag was quickly removed by our crew members and all customers exited the aircraft," in a statement obtained by WSVN. The airline also offered apologies for the inconvenience caused to its passengers.
The originally scheduled flight has been postponed, now set to leave San Francisco at 11:15 p.m. PST, with an updated arrival time at Miami of 8:04 a.m. EST today. As investigations into the specific cause of the fire continue, the safety protocols related to transporting and handling lithium-ion batteries in-flight may once again come under review.
