Fire Challenge Sends Teen To Hospital

[Anthony]

A 15-year-old in Kentucky suffered second-degree burns after putting rubbing alcohol on his chest and lighting himself on fire. He was attempting popular Facebook and YouTube “Fire Challenge†videos.
Lexington police and firefighters responded to a call on Appian Way to assist a teenager who burned himself after watching the videos online. Police did not release the name of the teen that mimicked the online videos.
“I just poured alcohol on it, and lit it, and it just automatically went and burst,†the 15-year-old said.
“Unbearable, yeah, basically,†said the teen. “Literally after it got put out it was already blistering, it’s just hard.â€
Videos of the “Fire Challenge†also show other teens spraying themselves with aerosol cans then lighting parts of their body on fire. But the videos never show the physical aftermath of the burns and consequences.
“What they don’t show at the end of the videos is the consequences of doing this, getting second and third degree burns,†Lexington Fire Department Captain Chris Harrod said.
[video=youtube_share;daybxX6MLZo]http://youtu.be/daybxX6MLZo[/video]
“Just watching it and never seeing what ended and just being childish,†the teen said of his actions.
A firefighter that transported the teenager to the hospital said that the burns he suffered will most likely affect him for the rest of his life.
“After getting a second or third degree burn later on in life if you get a sunburn it’s going to be compounded by these particular burns,†he said.
When the teenager was asked why he decided to try it, he said, “I don’t know; I wasn’t thinking really.†He also said that the one thing the videos never showed was the end.
The teen also wanted to warn other kids not to take the "Fire Challenge".
“You can get caught on fire and die, your house can get caught on fire, wherever youâ€re at can get caught on fire,†the 15-year-old said.

 

[Muthoni]

The internet has many benefits when used right. Anyone who posts any information online must give a disclaimer to the recipient of the information. Teenage years are very challenging; for that reason it is sad when this happens. I hope that this teen will make a full recovery and help other teens to stay away from dangerous experiments in the future.

 

[Gelsemium]

What are these people thinking really? A fire challenge, what good could it possibly come from that, nothing right?

 

[Strykstar]

What's wrong with kids nowadays?
What did he expect would happen by lighting himself on fire?
Never heard of the fire challenge, at least the cinnamon challenge didn't hurt anyone.

 

[PhilA]

I have seen these videos popping up more and more as the challenge spreads. I find it incredibly stupid and knew it was just a matter of time before someone got seriously hurt, or worse. It's hard to have sympathy when it is such deliberate action.