Story quickly gained traction on mainland social media, drawing over 50 million views on related discussions
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenZoey ZhangPublished: 9:00am, 25 Jun 2026A boy in southern China accidentally ignited dozens of mobile phones while playing at home, but his father’s remarkably calm reaction has garnered praise online.
The father, surnamed Peng, operates a mobile phone shop in Shenzhen and utilises part of his home as a workshop for storing devices, according to the mainland media outlet First Scene.
The fire began when Peng’s five-year-old son noticed sparks from a short-circuiting power strip and, intrigued, used them to ignite a tissue.
The flames rapidly spread throughout the workshop, destroying nearly 30 phones, with over half being iPhones, resulting in a total loss of more than 200,000 yuan (US$30,000). Unfortunately, the business was not insured, leaving Peng to shoulder the financial burden.
Worried the fire might reach his sleeping father, the boy closed Peng’s bedroom door before seeking refuge in another room.
