The last time we visited the exploding laptop topic, Dell was asking the US Consumer Product Safety Commission for help regarding one of their laptops that blew up at a Japanese conference. The pictures of smoking and flaming laptop were plastered all over the net. Today, we have a new entry into the exploding Dell laptop hall of fame.

This latest incident took place in Vernon Hills, Illinois and involved a laptop that was seemingly off when fire took place (the burn pattern on screen confirms that the laptop lid was at least closed). According to the Automation Engineer who posted the details of the story on the TG FORUMZ, the battery burned completely through the laptop and resulted in the entire bottom floor of his office building being evacuated.

But for all the shock and horror of seeing a laptop catch on fire in your office, there's at least some humor thrown in for good measure (at the expensive of the laptop's owner). From the TG FORUMZ:

The most priceless moment of this entire ordeal is something that I, with regret, do not have a picture of. While taking pictures through the haze (after everyone had evacuated the area and before the fire department came to kick us out), the engineer who’s laptop it was had been spotted out of the corner of my eye. Apparently he heard there was a fire and that we all had to go outside. Being the noble engineer that he is, he quickly wanted to grab his laptop!!! HAHAHA The look on his face, as he stretched out his arms in disbelief was priceless!!! Again, I’m sorry I didn’t get a picture of that... I was laughing too damn hard! (I was only able to get a picture of him walking away, as I was intermittently laughing and coughing at the same time).

We wonder if Dell will be placing another call to the US CPSC...