A robot vacuum cleaner exploded at a home on Airgate Close in Brabham, north-east of Perth, Western Australia, on Thursday night, leaving 25-year-old Lachie Perrem with burns to 75 per cent of his body. He was rushed to Fiona Stanley Hospital in a critical condition and faces multiple surgeries, extensive treatment and months of rehabilitation. The incident matters because authorities say it is the first reported case in the state involving a robot version of the device, raising fresh safety concerns about the increasingly common household appliances.

Mr Perrem had been vacuuming when the device burst into flames in his kitchen. Footage of the aftermath showed windows blown out, walls blackened and damage stretching from the kitchen to the living room, with furniture destroyed, floorboards charred and debris strewn throughout. A Department of Fire and Emergency Services spokesman noted there had been four vacuum cleaner fires in two years, but none previously involving a robot model. Mr Perrem's mother, Fiona, has launched a GoFundMe appeal to help cover his ongoing bills and financial commitments while he recovers.