Virtual reality promises to bring the gaming experience to life, though no one expects this much collateral damage. According to firefighters in Frankfort, Maine, a Meta Quest 3 battery is suspected of starting a small fire in a residential home. While there were thankfully no direct injuries, surreal footage from the home shows the danger some unattended batteries can unleash.
Local news reports that on June 11th, a Frankfort resident left an external battery charging on their nightstand. While outside, the resident heard a sudden noise from inside their home. In a set of videos provided to the local fire department, home security on the main floor picked up signs of danger in the bedroom above. Red flashes of light flare and is joined by a sudden pop of sound. Four concerned dogs come sprinting downstairs, glancing back worryingly. Soon after, a small fireball rolls down the stairs, a flaming chunk of Meta Quest debris spooking these adorable pets further away.
While the explosion isn’t caught directly on film, the Frankfort Volunteer Fire Department wanted to illustrate the hidden dangers in rechargeable consumer electronics. “The night stand is about 14 feet from the stairs and stairs are about 15′ long” posted the fire department on Facebook, “just to give you an idea how bad this was.”
While explosions such as these are uncommon, rechargeable batteries are a known fire hazard. Valve has warned Steam Deck modders about the potential dangers of tinkering with the battery, and owners of earlier PlayStation Portables may dig their units out to discover it now has a hunchback. Safety is one of the growing concerns with electric vehicles as well, as the combination of vicious electrical fires and door glitches have turned some Teslas into a kill box.
Local news says that the Meta Quest explosion is currently under investigation and that the home is being examined for any potentially harmful fumes.