Samsung denies claim for Garner woman whose phone caught fire

Samsung says a cellphone battery fire inside a Garner home was not caused by a manufacturing defect.

WRAL News spoke to a woman named Sarah in April. She said her Samsung device was just sitting on the counter when it erupted in flames.

Fire officials told us there was no accelerant involved. They didn't suspect any foul play and believed the fire was caused by a malfunctioning device.

Samsung has since inspected the phone and says it appears the rear cover was taken off before the fire. Those covers are not designed to come off.

Sarah told WRAL News that she tried to remove the cover months before the fire but didn't take it all the way off.

There was also physical damage to a corner of the battery, according to Samsung, and that's where the fire started.

It's still not clear exactly what happened, but Samsung denied the customer's property damage claim saying there is no evidence of a manufacturing defect.

The company sent this statement:

"Samsung takes customer safety very seriously, and we stand behind the quality of Galaxy devices. Our thorough examination of the device has revealed signs of prior external damage. We strongly advise that consumers follow the care instructions for their device and avoid inadvertently damaging it by removing or disassembling components. Any customer who has questions about a Samsung product should contact us directly at 1-800-SAMSUNG."

Sarah maintains she did not do anything to that would have started the fire and has hired an attorney.