Vape pen explosion may have caused death of Florida man, authorities say

A vape pen exploded in a man's home in St. Petersburg on Saturday and may have caused his death, authorities said.

St. Pete Fire Rescue responded to a house in the 300 block of 19th Avenue North after reports of a fire, according to a report by Spectrum Bay News 9.

Once inside, firefighters found the body of 38-year-old Tallmadge D'Elia.

According to officials, the vape pen exploded in his face as he was using it. He was found with multiple injuries to his face.

"They (vape pens) have a lithium battery and they start to generate heat,” Lt. Steve Lawrence, a spokesperson with St. Pete Fire Rescue, told the outlet. “In this case, we believe that exploded.”

The explosion caused a small fire to start nearby.

The Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine D'Elia's cause of death. It's unclear whether he was killed by the explosion or the fire.

This story was originally published May 6, 2018 at 1:12 PM with the headline "Vape pen explosion may have caused death of Florida man, authorities say."