When Stephen Rosenbluth visited a Freeport store to pick up paint on Monday, he wasn’t expecting to leave with burns.

The Malverne resident said Saturday that the battery in his e-cigarette burst into flames in his pocket — injuring him and startling customers.

Rosenbluth is one of several people in recent months who said their e-cigarettes burned them or overheated.

“This just can’t go on unregulated. It’s the same problem with hoverboards. . . . It’s happening with distressing regularity,” said Keith Altman, a Massapequa-based attorney who is representing Rosenbluth.

Rosenbluth, 38, said he was in the checkout line at Home Depot when the burning started. He said he saw a flame as he pulled the device out of his sweatpants pocket.

He said he later saw a doctor for his burns.

Battery manufacturer Efest, based in Shenzhen, China, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The company’s website prominently features a warning page stating that a number of conditions, including batteries being placed in pockets and coming in contact with other metals, could cause burns.

Rosenbluth said he had the battery in his e-cigarette for about two months and was not aware of any safety warnings. He had placed the device in his pocket numerous times, he said.

He contacted a lawyer after hearing about other people’s experiences with e-cigarette injuries and realizing the situation could have been worse.

“I have a 3-year-old son and a 10-year-old girl,” he said. “If I was driving or getting gas or my son grabbed it, it could have happened to him.”

There are some regulations on e-cigarettes. Airline passengers aren’t allowed to include e-cigarettes and their batteries in checked luggage or charge the batteries during flights, a change the federal transportation department announced last month.

From Love Lane in Mattituck, NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday deputy lifestyle editor Meghan Giannotta have your look at ways to celebrate Valentine's Day this year. Credit: Randee Daddona, Gary Licker; Newsday / A.J. Singh

Put a little love in your heart with the NewsdayTV Valentine's Day Special! From Love Lane in Mattituck, NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday deputy lifestyle editor Meghan Giannotta have your look at ways to celebrate Valentine's Day this year.

From Love Lane in Mattituck, NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday deputy lifestyle editor Meghan Giannotta have your look at ways to celebrate Valentine's Day this year. Credit: Randee Daddona, Gary Licker; Newsday / A.J. Singh

Put a little love in your heart with the NewsdayTV Valentine's Day Special! From Love Lane in Mattituck, NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday deputy lifestyle editor Meghan Giannotta have your look at ways to celebrate Valentine's Day this year.

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