Hello Zane,
Regret to hear that and the unhappy purchasing experience happens to you.
Due to the high current output, ODF30 is designed without reverse polarity protection indeed.
So, when inserting the battery, please make sure and make sure that the positive side goes towards the LED, and the negative towards the tail.
Next, we will make a notice about this issue.
Thanks for the supporting. 
I'm new here and this is my first post. :-)
I recently purchased a Lumintop ODF30 Flashlight and same battery from Amazon as well. And, made the mistake of installing the battery backwards. After removing the battery, I smelled the smoke too. Light didn't function after re-installing battery with the proper polarity.
Looking at the manual and flashlight, there doesn't appear to be any reference to the correct polarity for the battery. It's been my experience that most flashlight use a spring on the negative poll with few exceptions. I will never make that assumption again. :-P
I ended up watching a youtube video about this light to gain insight into how the battery should be installed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAII-erOb6I&t=261s
I'm under the opinion that this battery does not have reverse polarity protection. Perhaps, if I had I used a protected battery, the flashlight wouldn't have gotten fried.
Regret to hear that again 
We have learned the lesson that to make the visible notice if there is without reverse polarity protection.
And here we again, to make the notice:
- To use the battery WITH a PROTECTION CIRCUIT, to prevent reverse battery installation.
- MAKE SURE the anode side towards the LED side when inserting the battery.
Otherwise, the light, ODF30, would be damaged when reverse installing the battery without a protection circuit.
Make the notice like this instead:
1. Use a protected 26650 battery to prevent a reverse polarity battery insertion.
2. Put the positive side of the 26650 towards the LED side of the light when inserting the cell.
There is no reverse polarity protection present on the light. Therefore, reverse polarity results in a damaged ODF30.
:+1: :+1: :+1:
Why does a high output flashlight like this doesent have reverse polarity protection ?
What battery did you use?
This one?
As far as I understand it, the reverse polarity protection built into the battery is designed to protect the battery. It’s not designed to protect the flashlight circuitry. So I’m not exactly sure if a protected battery inserted backwards would save the flashlight or not.
That light by the way has a magnetic charger connection on the end cap. That’s why the battery is backwards in it. It is definitely the exception and not the norm for battery direction.
From post #30.
It’s not a detailed reason, but I probably wouldn’t understand a detailed reason anyway. Lol.
I have one light where the negative end of the battery gets inserted first. The makers put a very clear label on to light to show the correct orientation.
I don’t know if there’s room on the outside of the ODF30 to put a label like that. Maybe they can put a label inside the tail cap showing that the negative end touches the tail cap.
Picture right on the front of the instruction manual of the ODF30 shows the + end in the light and the - end sticking out the rear. Kinda easy to see and figure out. I tend to always check the manual for proper polarity, just in case I get one of the few lights that go tail positive.
Yes, most people should know that the positive always goes in the tube first and the negative goes towards the tail cap. Even though Lumintop has that picture above, I think they should make it a bit clearer.
Maybe Lumintop could add a small battery diagram on the light like this. See how small it is?
.
Generally it could be said that most of my exsitance is an example of “Operator Error ”. If I fried my new flashlight it would have been because I was simply not paying attention to what I was doing.
I think every flashlight that uses lithium ions should come with a salesperson. Few people pay attention to signs. You should see how many people blow the red light at the off ramp by my job
They will keep doing it until they learn not to or else die in a wreck. Either way, problem solved.
Mine also got some problems... not fried, but it doesnt always change modes when I push the button. It seems to be a switch problem
That's how i fried my Nitecore D20 !
I was used to push the battery positive into in the tube then screw the tail cap on my other lights ... except D20 has no tail cap and is filled "by the mouth"
"Not paying attention" ;)
Could someone explain how this makes sense electrically? I’m boggled ….
For "electrical" (as opposed to mechanical) polarity protection, one has to insert something in the current path and this something will add resistance.
The "something" may be a simple diode but then the voltage drop is pretty high or something more sophisticated with MOS and polarity detection circuit but even the best MOS still add some resistance.