Macbook charger caught fire in bed!

My boyfriend was using his macbook pro (less than a year old) in bed next to me while plugged into the charger and out of nowhere the cord began to sizzle with sparks, followed by small flame and smoke. He immediately unplugged the charger from the wall, and then from the computer and we were left with a burning smell and a black burn hole in the side of the cord. The computer seems to be working ok and we are both thankful that we were awake to stop the fire before it destroyed our home. We made an appointment with a mac genius for tomorrow. This has got to be something apple will replace for free, right? Has this happened to anyone else on here? There are lots of blog posts from other people who have had a similar experience. <edited by host>

MagSafe chargers get warm. Very warm.
But to get to the point where it catches fire is not a good thing.
Apple does not have to replace anything for "free." They well might--they should!--but they are under no obligation to do so, especially if you're past your warranty. I'd check on that first! In your case, less than a year, it should be replaced.
My question is: what was he doing with the MacBook in bed? Anything other than an electric blanket in something with things like flammable cotton sheets doesn't strike me as a good idea. (But that's just me.)
Best of luck in any case--
Doc

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