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NY Post
New York Post
15 Jul 2023


NextImg:NYC apartment scorched after woman’s MacBook exploded, suit says

She has a good reason to switch to Windows.

A Queens woman’s 2019 Apple MacBook Pro burst into flames while she was doing her taxes, sparking a fire that “destroyed” her apartment, according to court papers.

Linda Nahum, of Woodside, was working on the 15-inch laptop in bed late at night in July 2020 when she felt a burning sensation on her lap, her attorney, Anna Higgins, told The Post.

“She looked over and her entire comforter and bed were in flames,” Higgins said.

Nahum, 71, who lives alone, ran to the kitchen to get water to douse the flames, but the blaze only spread, so she called 911 and rushed out of the building, wearing only her pajamas, according to her attorney.

By the time firefighters arrived, Nahum’s entire bedroom had been engulfed in flames and the fire had reached her kitchen, Higgins said.

The battery in Nahum’s laptop spontaneously combusted, setting her apartment on fire, according to the lawsuit.
Courtesy Linda Nahum

Eventually, the blaze was put out, leaving the entire apartment soaked in water and soot.

Nahum was taken to the hospital with second and third-degree burns on her thigh, Higgins said.

She returned home the next day to find her apartment padlocked by fire officials, who deemed it a safety hazard, according to her attorney.

Months later, when she was finally able to enter her home, Nahum was stunned to find it covered in mold that had exploded everywhere in the soaked apartment.

burned bedroom
Nahum’s entire bedroom was destroyed by the fire, her attorney said.
Courtesy Linda Nahum

“Everything had to be thrown out,” Higgins said, adding that the fire also destroyed nearly all Nahum’s belongings including her grandmother’s mandolin and the prized collection of over 400 porcelain dolls from around the world that were gifts form her father.

“Having little living family left, she found solace, comfort, and a unique sense of connection to her family from her belonging within her home and her personal items,” Higgins said. “The loss she has endured is immense and immeasurable.”

Nahum was forced to live in an AirBnB for 10 months and hire a restoration company to address the water, fire, and smoke damage in her home — after many cleaning companies refused to even enter due to the mold — before she was able to return, according to her attorney.

The Fire Department chalked up the cause of the fire to “other-electrical,” according to city data.

burned leg
Nahum was also treated for burns in the hospital following the fire, Higgins said.
Courtesy Linda Nahum

Higgins said independent experts she hired said the fire began after the laptop’s battery combusted and shot out of the laptop.

In 2019, Apple recalled 15-inch MacBook Pro laptops that were manufactured between 2015-2017 because it was determined that their batteries could spontaneously overheat and burst into flames.

The 2019 MacBook Pro has not been subject to any recall.

Nahum, who has since soured on MacBooks, is seeking an undisclosed amount in damages.

“This incident not only robbed her of her material possessions but has left a gaping wound in her emotional well-being,” her attorney said. “She has not purchased an Apple computer since her loss.”

Apple did not respond to requests for comment.