A Dell Inspiron laptop. A stock 1966 Ford pick-up. Several boxes of ammunition. A sunny day on the shimmering shores of Lake Mead. A fireball erupting into the sky! A million bullets shredding through the air! A shrapnel storm of jagged metal shards and flaming tires!

Yes, it’s the best Dell explosion yet, set amongst the idyllic splendor of Nevada’s Lake Mead National Forest on July 13th, 2006. Rom Forqueran and Rob Riddle were on a macho man two-day fishing trip. Forqueran left his laptop in his truck, perched upon a make shift desk made up of boxes of ammo. Next thing you know…

“Flames were shooting about three feet out the window,” the 62-year-old Forqueran said. “I ran to the driver’s side door and the flames were rushing at me and the three boxes of bullets in the glove compartment. It was extremely accelerated. It was like someone was firing napalm.”

So why are Dell’s laptop batteries exploding in a fiery hell storm of bullets and razor sharp metal? It’s because Dell isn’t using a thermometer that automatically shuts down the computer when the battery gets too hot. “As the temperature rises, the conductors and plates buckle because they have no room to expand…” said Ronald Riley of the Professional Inventors Alliance USA. Then boom. Hell, even my MacBook Pro doesn’t get that hot.

“Exploding” Dell Laptop Destroys Truck, Imperils Outdoorsmen [Consumer Affairs]

Pictures inside, along with the letter Thomas wrote the National Park Services.

7/21/06

Statement to;

National Park service

601 Nevada way

Boulder City, Nevada 89005

on 7/13 about 1 PM while getting ready to load up our camping gear @ Gregs Hideout My truck (a family heirloom, ) burst into flames. 3 minutes previously my companion had just put a towel, T-shirt and tobacco can on the seat . All was well (He later said he heard a “popping” noise) then I smelt smoke looked up and flames were shooting out the passenger side window, I ran opened drivers door and saw flames shooting from my Dell laptop already engulfing passenger side and rushing towards me and the 3 boxes of “ammo” in the glove box. I just barley got “ducked down behind my quad when they started going off, and then the gas tanks began exploding.

The truck had aside from “laptop” GPS, metal detector ,cell phone ,wallet, camera, Winchester and other expensive toys inside .

It took 8 hrs. in 110 degree weather to get a tow truck there ($500 )

Only saving grace was park ranger Brandon Marsmaker who made an extra 1 hr round boat trip to bring ice water. my fishing buddy suffered heat exhaustion and dizziness all day. I had only a few scrapes and minor burns.

I can never replace “Grandpa’s truck” or all the hours of fun at the “Route 66 Fun Runs” or the daily compliments on my “fine ” truck (Grandpa bought it new and kept it that way).

Thomas

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