{"id":549355,"date":"2026-03-18T23:34:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T23:34:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/549355\/"},"modified":"2026-03-18T23:34:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T23:34:08","slug":"twilight-actor-justin-chon-escapes-bedroom-fire-from-exploding-battery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/549355\/","title":{"rendered":"Twilight actor Justin Chon escapes bedroom fire from exploding battery"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A Twilight actor has issued a desperate warning to fans after escaping a terrifying fire in his bedroom, which broke out while he slept. <\/p>\n<p>Justin Chon, who played Bella Swan\u2019s classmate Eric Yorkie in the Twilight films, took to <a class=\"body-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DV_xPwFJ_jM\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Instagram<\/a> to share footage of his room in the aftermath of the blaze that was sparked when a lithium-ion portable battery charger exploded on his bed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo this just set my room on fire,\u201d he began in a video that featured his charcoaled and charred mattress.<\/p>\n<p>The 44-year-old, who is sharing his ordeal to help others be more vigilant, explained that he went to sleep while his mobile phone was charging on a lithium-ion portable charger, connected via the MagSafe attachment. But he was soon woken up by a strange sound. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll of a sudden I heard this hissing sound \u2013 the battery exploded,\u201d he recalled. \u201cI woke up and the entire right side of my bed was in flames. The flames were about two to three feet [60 to 90cm] high. My pillow was on fire and the entire carpet was a blaze.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chon \u2013 who is also a director with four film under his belt: Gook, Ms. Purple, Blue Bayou, and Jamojaya \u2013 told his followers that if ever they notcie their lithium-ion battery chargers \u201cstart to swell\u201d or start to \u201cget puffy\u201d, they should \u201cbe careful\u201d and \u201cthrow that sh*t out right away because it can explode\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happens is the cell walls they start to break down, the negative and positive start touching, and it creates heat and makes the battery unstable,\u201d he believed. <\/p>\n<p>The Korean-American filmmaker and actor said that he was lucky to be alive because if the battery was positioned on another angle on his bed, he could have been badly burnt. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cLuckily, I woke up in time and I was able to put it out pretty quickly, but it still lit the entire side of my mattress on fire,\u201d he said. \u201cIf that battery\u2019s angle was a little bit differently, I would have lit on fire.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStay alive,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n<p>The number of lithium-ion devices found in Australian homes has soared in the last few years. Research by insurer IAG, released in January as <a class=\"body-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.news.com.au\/technology\/motoring\/on-the-road\/experts-warn-of-soaring-fire-risk-from-lithiumion-batteries\/news-story\/4c15ea95e0126a97582d7f23d76339a3\" target=\"_blank\" data-tgev=\"event119\" data-tgev-container=\"bodylink\" data-tgev-order=\"4c15ea95e0126a97582d7f23d76339a3\" data-tgev-label=\"technology\" data-tgev-metric=\"ev\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">reported in news.com.au<\/a>, predicts that this year the average Aussie household will contain around 33 lithium-ion powered devices, significantly increasing the risk of battery-related fires.<\/p>\n<p>According to the findings, danger rises sharply when batteries are damaged, exposed to saltwater flooding, charged incorrectly or repeatedly knocked. <\/p>\n<p>Shawn Ticehurst, Head of the IAG Research Centre, said the rapid growth of Australia\u2019s lithium-ion battery market was outpacing the development of safety standards.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cConsumers can easily purchase low-quality, often untested products online, and they aren\u2019t getting the information they need about safe charging practices,\u201d Ticehurst said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy better understanding how battery condition and charging habits contribute to fire risk, we can help establish the guidelines needed to keep people safe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) recorded a 12.2 per cent rise in micromobility battery-related fire incidents in 2025 compared to 2024, which included devices such as e-bikes and e-scooters.<\/p>\n<p>However, incidents involving small portable devices dropped by 14.3 per cent, falling from 112 in 2024 to 96 in 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Adelaide Dr Gemeng Liang told news.com.au users have to take simple steps to avoid fires.<\/p>\n<p>He said this includes making sure batteries and chargers are certified, keeping them away from heat sources and flammable materials such as bedsheets and couches while charging, and avoiding overcharging.<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A Twilight actor has issued a desperate warning to fans after escaping a terrifying fire in his 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