Dell, HP Computers Sparked Catastrophic Fires, Lawsuits ClaimDell, HP Computers Sparked Catastrophic Fires, Lawsuits Claim

PC vendors have unleashed a reign of fire across America, if claims in two recently filed lawsuits are to be believed.

Dell and Hewlett-Packard are facing unrelated lawsuits in which it's alleged that faulty computers manufactured by the tech companies sparked fires that gutted two buildings and disfigured a girl.

In one case, a North Dakota auto lube shop owner claims that a Dell monitor he purchased caught fire and burned down his business.

"The computer monitor was unfit for its intended purpose in that it was assembled in such a way as to cause the electrical system to malfunction and cause a fire," attorneys for Big Sky Battery of Williston, N.D., allege in court papers.

The fire "destroyed" the business and caused nearly a quarter million dollars in property damage, Big Sky claims. The company is seeking reimbursement and other damages.

The lawsuit was filed in December in county court in North Dakota. Dell last week asked the court to move the case to the North Dakota federal circuit.

Meanwhile, an Arkansas man has sued HP, claiming that an HP Compaq Presario PC he purchased from Wal-Mart burst into flames, causing a blaze that destroyed his house and seriously injured his daughter.

Keith Price claims his daughter Magdelyn was forced to jump from an upstairs window to escape the inferno. As a result, she suffered "burns and physical injuries" and permanent disfigurement, according to papers filed in December in county court in Conway, Ark.

Price also claims to have suffered "extreme mental anguish." He's accusing HP of negligence and is seeking unspecified damages.

Dell and HP have yet to file formal responses to the allegations.