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Update: The consumer product safety commission with the U.S. government contacted the reporter of this story on March 20 saying it had launched an investigation into the battery and phone. PROVO — It was a typical Friday night at the Callahan house.
Sonja Callahan was getting her 3-year-old son Zander ready for bed. She plugged in her cellphone, like she usually does, set it on her bed and continued her nightly routine.
When she was ready to call it a night, she went in her room and picked up her phone.
“I felt the back of my phone was just hot enough that it was just too hot,” Callahan said.
She popped the battery out of her phone immediately.
“It exploded and it was hissing and spewing out fumes and chemicals.”
The swollen and seared Samsung battery put a hole in her mattress and charred her bed sheets, Callahan said.
On a different phone, she immediately tried to call Samsung, the manufacturer of her Samsung Galaxy S4 Active.
“I want to get to the bottom of it for myself and for everybody else out there that might still have a Samsung battery in their phone that they're using every day,” Callahan said.
It exploded and it was hissing and spewing out fumes and chemicals.
–Sonja Callahan, phone owner
The representative for Samsung told Callahan someone from their company would be in touch with her.
“He said a dedicated team will contact you within 24 to 48 hours,” Callahan said. “It’s now three days later, and I have not been able to get ahold of the dedicated team.”
KSL attempted to contact Samsung again with Callahan present. Callahan was on hold for 22 minutes before being transferred to a voicemail box. Callahan left a message.
“It’s frustrating and it’s scary because I don't know, this could be happening to someone else right now and it shouldn't,” Callahan said.
She said she’s glad no one was hurt, but at the very least, she would like her mattress and sheets replaced.
“Right now I’m terrified of Samsung, I definitely won't have a Samsung again, Callahan said. “It might be time for me to get an iPhone.”
KSL attempted to contact Samsung independently for a statement numerous times, but there has been no response.
