The singer had kept his backpack underneath the seat in front of him
A former American Idol contestant shared the terrifying moment when his backpack suddenly caught fire on a JetBlue flight before takeoff. According to the New York Post, Jimmy Levy, who is a singer from Miami, Florida, was on a plane at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Monday when the incident took place. Notably, the singer had kept his backpack underneath the seat in front of him aboard the flight and dozed off. However, he was jolted awake by the intense heat and noticed his backpack was on fire.
''On Monday I faced one of scariest moments of my life. Right after falling asleep pre-takeoff on my flight back home to South Florida from New York, I was jolted awake by a sudden and terrifying wave of heat, seemingly shooting toward my face,'' Mr Levy wrote on X, along with a video of the chaotic aftermath.
"I immediately opened my eyes and noticed my backpack, which was initially tucked underneath my seat, now in an exploding and floating ball of fire. Acting quickly, I pushed it to the ground and began stomping on it frantically to prevent the blaze from spreading,'' he added.
In the video, flight attendants and other passengers are seen emptying bottles of water over the drenched backpack on the plane floor and into a metal container. Meanwhile, some passengers were seen scrambling to exit the plane during the chaotic evacuation.
Watch the video here:
Though the fire was extinguished, all passengers were asked to get off the plane for an investigation. It was discovered that the fire was caused by an overheated portable charger.
''Please be mindful of where you get your phone products from. In my case, my charger came from a fancy mall in Boca, Florida, but I guess you can't trust anything these days,'' Mr Levy warned.
The singer said he escaped with just a few burns on his hands. He also added that he is "convinced" that the situation was a spiritual attack "from the pits of hell."
A statement from JetBlue said, ''On Monday, October 30, JetBlue flight 1401 with scheduled service from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) was evacuated while at the gate before takeoff due to a customer's malfunctioning electronic device or battery.
"Our crew immediately responded and addressed the situation, and there were no requests for medical assistance. Safety is our number one priority, and we are investigating the incident.''
Notably, the singer is quite popular on social media, having one million followers on Instagram and more than 120,000 listeners on Spotify. He was a contestant on American Idol season 18 in 2020.