Electronic cigarette explodes in Florida Panhandle man's face, blows out his teeth, part of tongue

A man in the Florida Panhandle community of Niceville lost all of his teeth, part of his tongue and suffered facial cuts when the electronic cigarette he was smoking exploded, WEAR-Ch. 3 television reported.

Photographer, Vietnam veteran and father of three Tom Holloway was being treated at a burn center, the station reported.

A neighbor told WEAR that Holloway had quit smoking traditional cigarettes because of his health and had taken up so-called electronic cigarettes about two years ago.

Fire officials theorize that the cigarette's battery somehow ignited and it was essentially as if Holloway was "holding a bottle rocket in his mouth," the station reported.

Authorities don't know what model cigarette it was.
 
The full WEAR report can be accessed at http:// www.weartv.com .

The Associated Press contributed to this report