Car Office Chair Fire
Car office chair fires can be triggered by multiple factors, with common causes including the presence of flammable objects, charging device malfunctions, and light focusing effects.
Fires Caused by Flammable Objects
Among cases of car seat fires, the presence of flammable objects is a relatively common cause. For example, a woman in Shanghai rented a car for a self-drive trip when a fire suddenly broke out near the seatbelt buckle beneath the driver's seat. The flames once rose above her waist, and the source of the fire was a lighter that had fallen into the seat gap. Lighters contain flammable butane gas. During car travel, the seat may generate heat due to bumps, friction, or exposure to direct sunlight, causing the internal pressure of the lighter to rise. Once it reaches a certain level, an explosion and fire may occur. Additionally, if other flammable items, such as paper or cigarettes, fall into the seat gap, they can easily be ignited when exposed to high temperatures or open flames, leading to seat fires.
Fires Caused by Charging Device Malfunctions
Charging device malfunctions are also a significant factor contributing to car seat fires. In May 2026, a car seat fire occurred on Fenghuang Road in Huangtang, Jiangyin, caused by a power bank exploding after prolonged exposure to sunlight inside the vehicle, which then ignited the seat. Power banks contain lithium batteries, whose chemical properties become unstable in high-temperature environments, making them prone to thermal runaway, resulting in internal short circuits, swelling, or even explosions. When a power bank is placed on a seat and exposed to sunlight for an extended period, its temperature rises continuously, potentially triggering these dangerous situations and igniting the seat.
Fires Caused by Light Focusing Effects
The light focusing effect cannot be overlooked either. In one case, a fire broke out on the passenger seat of a vehicle, caused by sunlight passing through a half-full mineral water bottle, forming a focused light beam that ignited surrounding flammable materials. The shape of a mineral water bottle is similar to that of a convex lens. When sunlight passes through it, the light refracts and focuses, concentrating light energy at a single point and causing the temperature at that point to rise sharply. If this focal point falls on flammable materials such as the seat, after a period of heating, it may reach the ignition point of the flammable materials, thus triggering a fire.
