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Girl's Samsung Galaxy S4 cellphone catches fire under her pillow

Ariel Tolfree's phone is burnt to a crisp.

By Evan Bleier
A view of the new Samsung Galaxy S4 on March 15, 2013. (File/UPI/Samsung/HO)
A view of the new Samsung Galaxy S4 on March 15, 2013. (File/UPI/Samsung/HO) | License Photo

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DALLAS, July 25 (UPI) -- A Texas teen was woken up by her cellphone in the middle of the night and it wasn't because she had set the alarm to go off by mistake.

Ariel Tolfree had a rude awakening after she placed her Samsung Galaxy S4 under her pillow before going to sleep. The 13-year-old's "high-tech" phone caught fire and it was burnt to the point where it is barely recognizable.

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Things could have been worse if she hadn't smelled the phone burning.

"I didn't think much of it, so I went back to sleep, and then I woke up again and it was more prominent," Tolfree told KDFW.

The fire, which may have been caused by a replacement battery, singed Tolfree's bedding and mattress, as well as her pillow.

"The whole phone melted," said Tolfree's dad. "The plastic, the glass. You can't even really tell that it was a phone." He thinks the Galaxy S4 should come with a "big warning on it, like a cigarette label."

The phone does come with the following warning:

"Covering the device with bedding, your body, thick clothing or any other materials that significantly affect air flow may affect the performance of the phone and poses a possible risk of fire or explosion, which could lead to serious bodily injuries or damage to property."

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In addition to the phone, all of the other damaged items will be replaced by Samsung.

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