An Apple iPhone 6 owned by an 11-year-old girl from California caught fire and burned holes in her blanket once she threw the device on it, the media has reported.

"I was sitting down, and I had my phone in my hand and then I saw sparks flying everywhere and I just threw it on a blanket. I was right here on the bed and the phone managed to burn through this blanket and make these holes," the teenager was quoted as saying by 9to5Mac on Saturday.

Maria Adata, the teenager's mom, dialled Apple support and was instructed to send pictures and ship the phone to the retailer. "This could have been my child. My child could have been caught on fire and she could have been hurt more and I am glad she's ok," turnto23.com has reported.

According to the iPhone-maker, there are several things that may cause an iPhone to catch fire, including using unauthorised charging cables and chargers. Meanwhile, this is not the first time that an iPhone has caught fire.

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Two years ago, a viral video on Twitter claimed to show an iPhone 7 Plus catching fire. In December, an Ohio man said that his iPhone XS Max caught fire and exploded in his pocket. (IANS)