Old Gigabyte laser mouse bursts into flames, the company is investigating

A hot potato: Optical laser-based mice should operate on a very small amount of current, and they should certainly not catch fire without any prior warning signs. However, as a Reddit user recently explained, a low-power peripheral can quickly turn into a safety hazard when fire unexpectedly becomes involved.

A Reddit user shared his "hot" misadventure on the PC Master Race subreddit recently. User Lommelinn reported that his Gigabyte mouse caught fire – a small incident that could have escalated into a major disaster because it almost burned down his apartment.

"I smelled smoke early this morning, so I rushed into my room and found my computer mouse engulfed in large flames," Lommelinn explained. His room quickly filled with black smoke, though he was able to extinguish the fire. Lommelinn noted that he inhaled a significant amount of smoke during the incident, and his room was left in poor condition, with black soot and particles coating the surfaces.

The burned peripheral has been identified as the M6880X, an old Gigabyte wired mouse that went on sale in July 2014. The laser mouse features a "high accuracy" laser tracking engine, on-the-fly DPI switching between tree different values (800, 1200, 1600), and should pose no personal safety threats whatsoever. Lommelinn said he avoided the worst, but a mouse catching fire and burning a hole in the desk is still a shocking and unsettling experience.

Needless to say, fellow redditors are going wild with speculation. Multiple factors could have caused the incident, including a short circuit or a faulty component that finally gave up. Some speculate that a damaged solder joint, degraded wiring, or an aging component may have caused excessive current flow, ultimately leading to the fiery disaster.

The flaming M6880X mouse eventually caught Gigabyte's attention. The company acknowledged the incident shared by Lommelinn, stating that customer safety remains their top priority. Gigabyte is looking into the case, and has already contacted the unlucky Redditor to provide further support. One Redditor humorously pointed out the mystery of how a small 5V, 0.5A USB-powered mouse can suddenly go up in flames and take half a desk with it.

Lommelinn also shared additional details about his now-burned setup, confirming that the mouse does not require batteries and that there is no glass surface in his room that could have focused light onto the device. With no apparent external causes for the fire, we'll have to wait for the conclusion of Gigabyte's investigation to understand what went wrong.