Electronic cigarette fire onboard Wizzair out of KEF
 

Wizzair 1898, an A320 from Keflavik, Iceland to Wroclaw, Poland declared an emergency about 20 minutes after take-off and returned to Keflavik due to an onboard fire.

http://http://www.ruv.is/frett/ekki-...starfi-um-bord
(apologies, Icelandic only).

Later news reports indicate that an electronic cigarette caught fire and was thrown either into the toilet or into the lavatory. No word yet whether the crew had to extinguish the fire.

Do any operators really allow the use of electronic cigarettes onboard?

I don't think any airline allows the use of an electronic cig on board but with the (FAA) rules on batteries, you can't put them in your checked bag so they must be carried inside the passenger cabin either in your carry-on bag or on your person.

As far as i know even before the latest change to the battery rules went into effect, most if not all european airlines banned e-cigs in hold baggage, as there had been a few incidents with them catching fire in the hold, luckily without loss of an aircraft. It is not only that they do contain batteries, they do have a heating element to vaporize a fluid and that can turn on inadvertently in baggage. So they have to be carried in the cabin, where it is easier to take care of any fire.

Makes you think about the unsolved (as yet) MS804 mystery!

DoT rule prohibits 'vaping' or charging an E-cig on board any commercial AC flying within, to, from US. Believe that went into effect Mar or Apr 2016 and there appeared to be more concern about the fire potential during charging which FEMA cited in a publication then the health of others due to the smoke. I guess if we used smoke as an excuse, use/charge of a now-banned smart phone could be considered smoking.:E

Interestingly, there was much debate in Congress and a rider to a transportation bill that would have allowed vaping garnered more support that one would think (well not really given the priorities of our elected representatives:ugh:).

Vaping isn't the problem. As long as they prohibit exhaling the contents afterwards.

Escort them back into the terminal building and then out the doors. One Daily Snail outraged article will pass the message.