Please report this to the Consumer Protection Agency or find out what agency tracks safety hazards of appliances. This may not be a unique event and sometimes recalls are appropriate. If it's not reported, these incidents will continue and perhaps become more common.
Sorry this happened to you. It'd be so frightening! My old Rowenta developed an electrical problem and I put it in the trash before it 'caught fire'. Now, I always disconnect the iron when I leave the room and am done sewing. I bought a Sunbeam that works okay--doesn't heat as well as the Rowenta but I do feel safer.