27-05-2025
EXCLUSIVE I was left with horrifying burns after I cooked sausages in my air fryer and it EXPLODED
A man who says his air fryer exploded despite being unplugged from its power source has told how he has been left with third-degree burns and permanent nerve damage.
Jonty Benjamin, 52, from Blackpool, had cooked sausages in his Tower Housewares Air Fryer one evening as he prepared what he dubbed a 'roast dinner' on an otherwise normal night.
But after turning the device off and unplugging it from the wall - a ritual he claims to do with all electric appliances - Mr Benjamin sat down to eat his meal before the smell of smoke began to flow into his living room.
No sooner than his attempts to save the kitchen from burning down were finished as the fryer went up in flames, the 52-year-old realised his right arm was covered in burnt plastic which had seeped into his skin.
'It was the adrenaline that initially made it painless,' Mr Benjamin told MailOnline.
'I got such a shock. Within a few minutes of sitting down I could smell something wasn't right and when I went into my kitchen the air fryer was fully alight.
'It was terrifying. It took me about a minute or two to control the flames but by that point my arm was completely burnt.'
Mr Benjamin said he was surprised at how well he initially coped with the pain - but was later told that he had suffered extreme nerve damage which had drastically reduced his sensory abilities.
He even waited five days after the horror unfolded on March 25 before getting the burns checked at Preston Royal Hospital's skin trauma clinic after the severity of the pain had gotten too strong.
Doctors told Mr Benjamin he had suffered third degree burns, deep cut burns, and severe nerve damage throughout his right arm and parts of his hand.
Now, he is facing rounds of plastic surgery after receiving a skin graft last week where a chunk of skin from his leg was removed to cover the deepest burns on his arm.
Despite suffering the 'lifelong injuries', Mr Benjamin says he does not have high hopes for compensation.
However, he has sent the remnants of the air fryer to Tower Manufacturers who have responded directly to him to say they are investigating.
MailOnline reported how Tower issued a product recall on April 10 over concerns that their products will overheat and ignite during use, but the warning was supplied more than two weeks after the 52-year-old suffered the injuries.
The appliance company, founded in Wolverhampton, claimed that the affected products were manufactured between January 2022 and April 2023 and said said the fault was deemed 'low risk'.
Though it advised those who have purchased the air fryers to 'stop using them immediately' and unplug them from power supplies, Mr Benjamin claims his explosion occurred after it had been unplugged.
The air fryer, which the 52-year-old says he only used 'once or twice a week' was given to him as a gift from his friend last year, who has been left 'mortified and angry' by the incident.
And it has left Mr Benjamin so traumatised that he no longer feels he can use an electric cooking device.
'I have an oven, microwave and grill all-in-one at home but I don't even want to use that now,' Mr Benjamin said.
'For the past three weeks I've been living on sandwiches and instant noodles. I haven't been able to cook since it happened.
'I was out a walk with my dog the other day and I heard a fire alarm in the distance, and even that was still triggering. I don't know when I'll be ready again.'
A spokesperson for Tower Housewares told MailOnline: 'At Tower, the safety and well-being of our customers is of paramount importance.
'All of our products are subject to rigorous safety and testing procedures, which our dedicated quality assurance team constantly monitor to ensure they meet the highest standards.
'The customer has made contact with our team and we are working with him directly to understand the cause of this incident.'
