Cellphone battery fire triggers emergency evacuation on flight at Denver International Airport

A mobile phone battery caught fire on Southwest Airlines Flight 3316, leading to an evacuation at Denver International Airport on Friday morning. The incident occurred before 7 am whilst the aircraft was preparing to depart for Houston's William P Hobby Airport.

The aircraft remained at the gate when the incident occurred. Staff members successfully extinguished the fire, which had spread to a seat. The owner of the mobile phone sustained burns and received medical attention.

The aircraft carried 108 passengers during the incident, as confirmed by Southwest to CBS News Colorado. The evacuation procedure involved passengers using rear emergency slides at the back of the aircraft, whilst those in front departed through the main door. One passenger sustained minor injuries during the evacuation process.

Southwest issued this statement during the investigation: "Southwest's Customer Care Team is working to accommodate the passengers on another aircraft to their original destination of Houston. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of its Customers and Employees."

A CBS News Investigation from the previous year revealed an increase in such incidents across American airspace. The FAA confirmed that lithium-ion battery fires increased by over 42% during the past five years.