JetBlue flight attendants on flight 988 are receiving kudos for putting out a smoky fire caused by a passenger's phone. What could have been a deadly situation was handled swiftly and professionally according to JetBlue and witnesses on board the plane.

Holy Smoke

On August 20 early morning, a JetBlue flight from Lost Angeles to Boston experienced a deadly scare near the end of the route towards Boston Logan Airport. While it isn't confirmed what exactly caused the fire, many inside the plane could notice the smoke and odor filling the first class cabin.

Lara Benson, who was flying back to Massachusetts, had this to say to CBS News: 

"I saw really thick, heavy smoke billowing out of the seat area...You smelled the plastic first, like a really harsh smell, and then the cabin just filled up with smoke and you saw the crew go right into action."

Attendants managed to douse any possible flame coming from the mobile phone with a fire extinguisher. The passengers near the site of the smoke were also transferred to vacant seats further away for the remainder of the flight. Benson also noted that the smoke was irritable to the eyes to the point where the AC had to be turned on.

The phone in question was placed inside the bathroom with the door locked. The crew were then met with applause by passengers.

JetBlue acknowledged the situation publicly, citing that no injuries were reported and that the incident will be thoroughly investigated with law enforcement.

How Airlines Deal With Electronics Fires

When a phone, tablet, or laptop catches fire, it's typically caused by the lithium ion battery inside overheating when it recharges. When a battery is charged too often or it gets too hot, a phenomenon known as thermal runaway occurs in which the battery's exterior wears out and causes a battery leakage, which is a potentially harmful fire hazard.
 

Handfuls of electronics fires have been reported every year since the 2010s, and the number has increased with more electronics being brought onto flights. In 2016, there was even a worldwide ban on the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 from being brought on board flights in any capacity because of its history with causing fires.

Also in 2016, however, airlines started to introduce fire-containment bags for attendants to use in case of an electronics fire. These heat-proof bags make it an easy way to smother a fire by simply placing the device inside the bag and closing it.

Alaska Airlines was the first airline to implement these bags across its entire fleet. Other notable airlines that have followed suit include American Airlines, Delta, and Hawaiian Airlines most recently. 

Fire-containment bags are also purchasable online so anyone can obtain one. Brimstone Fire Protection sells these kinds of bags starting at $699 each. 

The JetBlue crew members deserve nice bonuses for their quick work of putting out the potential fire, but perhaps JetBlue itself can be the next airline to invest in fire-containment bags to make the process even faster and more efficient for electronics fire incidents.

But what are your thoughts? What do you think caused the phone to overheat in the first place? We'd love to read your comments down below.