Two injured after a cell phone battery caused a fire on a Southwest flight in Denver

DENVER – More than a hundred passengers were evacuated from a plane Southwest Airlines plane at Denver International Airport Friday after a cell phone battery caused a fire in the cabin.

A Southwest spokesman said the plane was still at the gate when the fire broke out before 7 a.m. as it prepared to take off to Houston.

Passengers in the back of the plane used the rear emergency slides while the crew extinguished the seat fire caused by the burning cell phone.

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One passenger reported a minor injury during the evacuation and the person whose phone caught fire was treated for burns.

Southwest said it was working to find flights for the 108 passengers on board, and that the fire was still under investigation.

FAA data shows this is not an isolated incident. According to the National Business Aviation Association, smoke, fire and extreme heat incidents involving lithium-ion batteries occur on board aircraft in the US on average more than once a week.

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Citing FAA data, the NBAA reports that there were 208 incidents involving lithium-ion batteries, 111 involving e-cigarettes and vaping devices, 68 involving cell phones and 60 involving laptop computers.