Warning after exploding can of dry shampoo triggers fire
The can of dry shampoo 'blew up like a firecracker' setting a Sydney woman's whole room on fire.
A Sydney man has warned against a popular aerosol product after it allegedly exploded, setting his mother's bedroom on fire.
Luke, 28, said the aerosol can "blew up like a firecracker" leaving parts of the bedroom in a burnt and blackened state.
Thankfully, the woman was not in her bedroom at the time of the alleged explosion which he said was caused by a can of Batiste Dry Shampoo. Luke said the hair product, which had been inside an unused handbag, "set her whole room on fire" and warned others to "think again" before using it.
"I got a call at around 7 pm on Monday night and mum said the house caught fire. They heard an explosion but they thought it was coming from the neighbours until their own smoke alarm went off," Luke told Yahoo News Australia.
"They both ran inside and saw smoke billowing from upstairs, they weren’t sure what room it was coming from. But dad had gotten the fire extinguisher from the garage and proceeded to mum’s room. He put the fire out and the fire brigade came shortly after."
The worried son showed the aftermath of the fire in a video on TikTok and said "her whole room stinks of soot and black smoke damage". Various items were also destroyed in the blaze including a lamp, the blinds and parts of the bed.
"My mum normally sits there on the side of the bed. I would have lost my mother today, lucky she was downstairs taking down my washing," he said in the video. He pointed to the handbag the aerosol can was in which was "unrecognisable", he said.
Aerosol cans 'are safe' but can explode
While aerosol cans can explode if exposed to heat, Superintendent Adam Dewberry from NSW Fire and Rescue said they're generally pretty safe, and without context, could not confirm if it caused the blaze.
"They are probably in every household with many of them consisting of flammable liquid which turns to a readily ignited vapour when expelled," he told Yahoo News Australia.
The circumstances leading up to this explosion are unknown, making it difficult to know the cause, but general advice would be to keep aerosols away from heat sources at all times.
"If an aerosol is heated the contents expand, this can cause over pressurisation increasing the chance of the container failing to release the contents," Supt Dewberry explained.
"If there is an ignition source in the vicinity it can ignite the vapour being released causing a flash fire or explosion. It is not uncommon during the passage of fire for firefighters to experience aerosols cooking off (exploding)."
NSW Fire and Rescue advise people to call Triple-0 for any fire or suspected fires. "Even if they think they have put it out," Superintendent Dewberry said.
Luke also stressed the importance of having a fire extinguisher at home. "If that was not there, the damage would have been much worse," he said.
Yahoo News Australia has reached out to Batiste for comment.
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