A Spirit Airlines flight from DFW to Orlando had to be diverted to Jacksonville after a battery caught fire in an overhead luggage compartment Wednesday.
One passenger named Joseph Fleck tweeted a series of pictures and video of the ordeal.
The first one saying " @SpiritAirlines stuck in jacksonville cause someone’s battery pack exploded on the plane. Hope i get to take my kids to Disneyworld soon."
He posted pictures that show smoke in the cabin as well as video of firefighters on board. He also says a woman had to be taken out on a stretcher.
Eventually he tweeted "We are safe after a scary fire broke out during our @SpiritAirlines flight. We made a quick descent and emergency landing into Jacksonville. After waiting for over an hour they grounded the plane and we had to find our own way to Orlando. All rental cars were sold out. $250 uber"
Spirit Airlines provided a statement to KRLD about the incident:
Spirit Airlines flight 259 from Dallas (DFW) to Orlando (MCO) diverted to Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) following what’s believed to be a battery fire from a Guest item in an overhead bin that was extinguished inflight. The plane landed at JAX and taxied to the terminal without incident. We thank our crew and Guests for their quick actions to ensure the safety of everyone onboard, and we thank first responders for meeting the aircraft.
We are providing vouchers and arranging alternate ground transportation for our Guests from Jacksonville to Orlando.
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