Woman claims Fitbit device exploded on her wrist and left her with second-degree burns

A woman in Milwaukee, Wisconsin claims her Fitbit exploded on her wrist last week, leaving her with severe second-degree burns. Dina Mitchell said she was wearing her Flex 2 while reading a book last Tuesday (18 April) when the device caught fire.

She said she quickly yanked the device off of her arm and threw it on the floor as it continued to burn.

"I was literally just sitting and reading when my Fitbit exploded," Mitchell said in an emailed statement to ABC News. "It was either defective or really mad I was sitting still so long... I don't know. Either way, it burned the heck out of my arm."

She sought treatment for her burns the next day adding that the doctor had to pick pieces of plastic and rubber out of her injured wrist following the incident.

Mitchell said she received her Fitbit Flex 2 as a birthday present from her husband and daughter two weeks ago.

Aurora Health Care's urgent care facility confirmed to TODAY'S TMJ4 that Mitchell visited the center.

"The Fitbit itself totally melted," she said. "This is a product so many people use. My nephew, their whole class gets these from their teachers, and they wear them."

Fitbit's website states that the device "contains electrical equipment that could cause injury if not handled properly". The site says the Flex 2 trackers run on lithium-polymer batteries.

However, Mitchell says she was very careful with the fitness device prior to its malfunctioning.

The incident comes after Samsung recalled millions of Galaxy Note 7 phones in 2016 following a series of incidents in which the devices' batteries exploded or caught fire. Samsung eventually discontinued the line and said the fires were caused due to two unique battery flaws.

Longbow Research analyst Joseph Wittine, however, told USA Today that he doesn't see the latest incident as Fitbit's own "Samsung Note moment." He said he is viewing the report with "some element of skepticism".

"We are extremely concerned about Ms. Mitchell's report regarding her Flex 2 and take it very seriously, as the health and safety of our customers is our top priority," Fitbit said in a statement to multiple media outlets. "Fitbit products are designed and produced in accordance with strict standards and undergo extensive internal and external testing to ensure the safety of our users.

"We have spoken with Ms. Mitchell and are actively investigating this issue. We are not aware of any other complaints of this nature and see no reason for people to stop wearing their Flex 2. We will share additional information as we are able."

Mitchell said the company offered her a free replacement device.

"If they are exploding or if there's some type of malfunction with them... I mean, I'm going to have a scar from this probably, can you imagine what it would do to a child?" Mitchell said.