By Andrew Blankstein and Dennis Romero -
NBC News
A lithium-ion battery fire caused a long-haul flight to rush back to California and four of its passengers were hospitalized Tuesday, authorities said.
The United Airlines flight, from San Diego International Airport and bound for Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, had been in the air for a few seconds when the cabin emergency occurred, according to authorities and data from the tracking website. of FlightAware flights.
The San Diego Fire Department stated that seven people were injured, four were taken to a trauma center at the University of California, San Diego.
The patients were treated for smoke inhalation
, UC San Diego Health, the University of California's academic health system, said in a statement.
United Airlines indicated that all or nearly all are crew members who put themselves in danger by intervening in the fire.
The employees were hospitalized as a precautionary measure, the airline said.
Emergency personnel work near a United Airlines plane after it landed due to a fire in San Diego, California.NBC San Diego
Three other injured refused to be taken to a hospital despite the advice of first aid teams, firefighters said.
At least two were passengers, United said.
The airline claimed that the battery that caught fire belonged to a customer and that crew members "acted quickly to contain the object."
Firefighters also acknowledged that the workers prevented the fire from spreading to the plane.
“We thank our crew for acting quickly in prioritizing the safety of everyone on board the aircraft,” United said.
[A plane is evacuated at New York's John F. Kennedy airport after a passenger's computer catches fire]
One of the tools used to fight the fire was a fire bag used to prevent the flames from spreading, according to firefighters.
The plane, a Boeing 737, landed safely at about 7:30 am, said the Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating the incident in coordination with the National Transportation Safety Board.
The total number of passengers was not specified.
They investigate an incident between two planes at the Austin, Texas airport
Feb 6, 202300:21
Typically used in electronic devices and electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries can quickly produce heat and spread flames.
When they do break out, which is happening with increasing frequency, the fire is resistant to traditional fire-fighting techniques.
Under FAA regulations, passengers may carry spare or spare lithium-ion batteries, intended for their own use, but they may not go in checked baggage.
They must be kept in the carry-on bag
and their ports must be taped, protected by packaging or otherwise covered.
Large stacks are limited to two per passenger.
The FAA classifies these batteries as "dangerous goods."
