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DC Woman Reports Another Samsung Phone Caught Fire

Following last year's global recall of millions of Samsung Galaxy Note7 cellphones last year, consumers are reporting other phones have similar problems overheating and catching fire.

Sylvia Adams, of northwest D.C., told NBC4 Responds her Galaxy S6 caught fire in her bedroom.

“I was talking on the house phone and then all of a sudden I heard this sizzle and then I looked and I saw flames,” she said.

Adams showed the burn marks through her blanket, top sheet, fitted sheet and mattress. Once she knocked the phone off the bed, it burned her hardwood floor, she said.

“This phone almost burned my house down,” she said.

Her Galaxy S6 is not on any recall list. Last year, millions of Galaxy Note7s were recalled because their lithium-ion batteries can overheat and catch fire.

“Immediately I called Samsung,” Adams said. “Then I called you all.”

Soon after NBC4 Responds called Samsung, Adams got a call.

“All of a sudden, my phone was ringing off the hook,” she said.

Samsung sent her a different model replacement phone for free, picked up her charred phone and took pictures to document the damage.

A quick search on SaferProducts.gov returned multiple similar reports about Samsung phones overheating or catching fire, including a report about another Galaxy S6, claiming the phone was charging on a bed when there was a flash of bright light before the consumer screamed fire.

A report about the Galaxy S7 Edge said the phone was charging and the consumer woke up to the phone bursting into sparks and flames.

A Galaxy S7 reportedly made a popping sound and smoke spewed out of the phone.

And a Galaxy S II reportedly started hissing before making a loud pop and catching fire.

Samsung said it has no other battery issues right now and no other big problems with other model phones.

Adams disagrees.

“And I'm saying, ‘Well, you have a problem now,’” she said.

“Samsung stands behind the quality and safety of the more than 10 million Galaxy S6 family phones in the U.S.,” a Samsung spokesperson said in a statement. “We have reached out to Ms. Adams to retrieve the device and learn more about what happened. Until Samsung is able to obtain and examine any device, it is impossible to determine the true cause of any incident. Mobile phones are complex devices and there are many factors that could contribute to their malfunction. Any customer who has questions or experiences an issue with a Samsung product should contact us directly at 1-800-SAMSUNG."

Samsung did not comment on the status of the investigation into Adams’ phone but said it just released an eight-point battery test with new protocols.

Adams said she is not sold on using her new phone.

“I'm terrified,” she said. “I don't know what that phone might do.”

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