Freak ‘robot vacuum explosion’ sparks blaze leaving man fighting for life

Lachie Perrem, 25, was reportedly left with burns on 75% of his body after his home in Brabham, Western Australia, was engulfed in flames when his robot vacuum cleaner allegedly exploded

A man is battling for his life in hospital after his robot vacuum cleaner allegedly burst into flames, sparking a house fire that left him with burns covering 75% of his body.

Lachie Perrem, 25, suffered devastating injuries in the terrifying blaze that destroyed his home in Perth, Australia, last Thursday (July 2). Emergency services raced to the property in Brabham following reports of a fire, with paramedics whisking the badly hurt Lachie to Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth.

He remains in the burns ward under sedation as medics battle to save his life, having already endured multiple operations following the shocking incident. His family, friends, and loved ones have been left devastated, with Lachie’s fiancée Bri Thompson describing the days since as “completely unimaginable”.

“Our entire life has changed in a matter of moments and everything has been incredibly intense and overwhelming,” reports the Mirror.

“Lachie has an incredibly long road ahead of him, and right now all we want is for him to keep fighting.”

Lachie’s mother, Fiona, lives on the opposite side of the country and is arranging to fly to Western Australia on Tuesday so she can be at her son’s bedside during his recovery.

“Our family has been turned upside down after my beloved son was critically injured in a tragic explosion at his home,” Fiona Perrem said, as per 7News. “While our focus is on helping him survive and heal, life outside the hospital doesn’t stop. We want to ease as much of that burden as possible so that, when he wakes and begins his recovery, he can focus entirely on getting better.”

Lachie is anticipated to stay in hospital for a minimum of the next two months. Footage captured at the scene by 7News has revealed the sheer intensity of the blaze.

The video shows charred and blackened walls throughout both the kitchen and living room, where the flames had spread before firefighters managed to bring the inferno under control.

Building and energy inspectors are now examining what sparked the fire, along with the device they suspect triggered the devastating blaze.

Fire crews informed news.com.au that the inferno was caused by an explosion following an “accidental due to a fault in a robotic vacuum cleaner”.

“The device has been sent to Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety (LGIRS) for further investigation,” a Department of Fire and Emergency Services said.

A digital fundraiser has been launched to support him during his rehabilitation, with almost £11,400 collected so far to assist Lachie through his recovery.