HIALEAH, Fla. — A 19-year-old from Hialeah says her Samsung phone recently exploded on her bed and sparked a fire that destroyed her bedroom — just minutes after she stepped outside to pick up her DoorDash order.
Maya Garcia, 19, told Local 10 News in an exclusive interview Wednesday that she had no idea she was stepping away from a potentially deadly fire when she went outside to grab her food last week, on Aug. 12.
“It was terrifying,” Garcia said.
When she went outside to get the food, Garcia left her Samsung Galaxy A15 phone on her bed.
About a minute after the food arrived, Garcia and her dad said they heard an explosion.
“I’m sitting there and I hear an explosion behind me,” Garcia said. “Sounded like ‘boom,’ like glass shattering, ‘swoosh.’”
Her room was quickly engulfed in flames.
“You couldn’t see inside the house — flames, smoke,” Garcia said. “I’m panicking, but I’m trying to stay calm.”
The room was left in ruins, with the phone still visible among the ash. Childhood memories were destroyed.
The outlet in the room showed no visible signs of an electrical issue.
Local 10 News reached out to arson investigators, who said their report is not finished yet.
Garcia and her father said they were told by the arson investigation team that the phone was responsible for the fire.
Garcia said if the DoorDash delivery had been late, the story might have had a different ending.
For Garcia, there is one word for how she feels.
“Grateful,” she said. “I am extremely grateful. What matters is I’m alive here today.”
Local 10 News reached out to Samsung. The company responded and said they reached out to the family for information.
Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
