A fire broke out from a cellphone battery on a Southwest flight departing from Denver on Friday, prompting an urgent evacuation procedure.

Southwest Airlines Flight 3316, which was set to travel to Houston, had not yet left the gate at Denver International Airport when a passenger’s cellphone battery caught fire, according to an airline representative communicating with YSL News.

Passengers located at the back of the plane exited via the rear emergency slides, while those seated in the front made their way out through the front door, as per the spokesperson’s account.

The flight crew successfully extinguished a fire that ignited on a seat, triggered by the burning cellphone, the airline reported. Initial findings suggest that one passenger incurred a minor injury during the evacuation, and the individual whose phone ignited is receiving treatment for burns, the spokesperson added.

“Southwest’s Customer Care Team is actively working to rebook passengers on another flight to their intended destination of Houston,” said the airline. “The safety of our customers and crew is Southwest’s top priority.”

Rise in cell phone battery fires on aircraft

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) informed CBS News that incidents of lithium-ion battery fires have surged by over 42% in the past five years.

Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in devices like cell phones, laptops, and tablets.

CBS News reported that FAA statistics show that since 2021, a lithium battery-related incident has occurred on an American passenger plane approximately once a week.