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Electrical engineers from Nokia have eliminated their cellular phone as the ignition source of a fire that critically injured a Vallejo man, the Vallejo Fire Department reported Wednesday night.
The engineers, who tested the phone Wednesday, determined that the `phone was still in working condition even after suffering burns to part of the Nokia phone,` said a statement released by William Tweedy, the Vallejo Fire Department’s public information officer.
`The point of origin is still the right front pocket of the victim’s pants, but the ignition source is of an unknown flame source,` the statement says. In an interview, Tweedy said the other possibilities are the improper discarding of smoking materials, matches or a lighter – `an ignition source other than the phone and other than electricity in the house and other than a flammable liquid.`
Tweedy had initially pointed to the phone as the suspected cause of the fire.
Tweedy said Luis Picaso remains in critical but stable condition at U.C. Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. Picaso, 59, suffered second- and third-degree burns over 50 percent of his body from the fire Jan. 13.
At the time, Picaso was sitting in a plastic chair and reportedly was wearing polyester and nylon clothing, which is highly flammable.
Tweedy said the Nokia Cellular Phone Model 21251 is `still functioning properly. Even though it was burned, the battery works, the phone works, it makes calls, the whole thing.`
Tweedy said he was present when engineers tested the phone.
“That phone is not the source of the fire,` he said. `The only way to rule out the phone was to bring somebody in to look at it.`
Source: Mercury News
Hello fact checking! I wasn’t (and neither is the internet) aware that Nokia made a model 21251. Eitherway this just proves Nokia’s are built like a rock.
It survived a fire. F-i-r-e!
UPDATE: Thanks PhoneBoy for pointing out that Nokia makes a 2125i. Mercury must’ve confused the i for a 1.
About The Author
Stefan Constantinescu
Stefan Constantinescu (@WhatTheBit on Twitter) has loved technology since as far back as he can remember. It started with computers, but in the past few years his passion has turned to mobile devices. As a mobile phone enthusiast who lives and breathes devices that connect to the internet, he knows he is not alone with this radical fascination of all things wireless. He is strongly opinionated and enjoys a good debate so leave comments in his posts and he’ll get back to you! Stefan began blogging as a hobby in the fall of 2006 and joined IntoMobile in the summer of 2007. Later he got a job at Nokia in March 2008, but as of June 2009 he has rejoined the IntoMobile team. He is currently based out of Helsinki, Finland.
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PhoneBoy
