How can this happen? Surgical question

An 8yr old boy goes in for routine tonsilectomy in San Jose Ca.
According to this story http://www.thekcrachannel.com/news/2150335/detail.html

The surgical equipment “catches fire” severly burning his mouth, throat and LUNGS? WTF?

I mean I could see if they were using some type of “electric knife” that the main unit, presumably on a rack or table, could catch fire, but the instrument in the patients mouth???

Any surgeon dopers out there to explain this?