Apple iPad burst into flames, reports say; Charger may be to blame Authorities are investigating what may have caused an Apple iPad demo model to burst into flames at a store in Australia last week. It happened Nov. 8 at a Vodafone store in the city of Canberra. Some reports say the device was a new iPad Air, but Apple has not confirmed which type of tablet was involved. A Vodafone spokesperson told the Australian website news.com.au that the spark and flames appeared to come from the device's charging port. Reports say the store filled with smoke. The fire department was called, and customers and staff had to evacuate. No one was reported injured. News.com.au reports that an Apple representative visited the store to retrieve the damaged iPad for testing. There have been several previous incidents of fires or dangerous electric shocks connected to chargers for Apple devices. A woman in China reportedly died from electrocution earlier this year after her family said she answered an iPhone plugged into a charger. Apple has urged people not to use charging devices made by other manufacturers, and even offered a trade-in plan to replace knock-off chargers. Similar problems have also plagued Apple competitors. Over the summer, a man in Hong Kong claimed that his Samsung Galaxy S4 exploded in his hands; he dropped the phone onto his sofa, which caught fire and burned down the house.