New Orleans Officials Warn of Danger After Child Suffers Severe Burns in Viral Fire Challenge
Authorities urge parents to educate children about the risks associated with social media stunts following a case where a 9-year-old boy sustained burns to 70 percent of his body.
New Orleans officials are raising alarms about the perilous nature of viral social media challenges after a 9-year-old boy suffered severe burns to 70 percent of his body.
New Orleans Fire Department Chief Roman Nelson stated in a public awareness video that the child "is lucky to be alive" after participating in the dangerous "fire challenge." The stunt, as described by Nelson and New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick, involves children igniting themselves after dousing their bodies in flammable substances, attempting to extinguish the flames quickly.
"It's very dangerous. It is not fun, and it is not funny," Kirkpatrick said, emphasizing that children should not engage in the trend, as their lives are not worth the risk. Officials implored parents to have conversations with their children about the dangers of such extreme online behaviors.
This is not the first instance of severe injury linked to the fire challenge. In 2014, a North Carolina mother was arrested for allegedly assisting her 16-year-old son as he set himself on fire for a video. The mother was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile after police reported she filmed her son pouring fingernail polish remover on himself and igniting it. The teen sustained minor burns to his chest and neck before onlookers intervened.
Four years later, a 12-year-old girl in Detroit reportedly burned nearly half of her body while performing a similar stunt. The incident occurred at her home after her mother left her and friends alone, resulting in an explosion that engulfed the girl in flames. Emergency measures were taken by her stepfather and mother to extinguish the fire and treat her burns, leading to her hospitalization in intensive care.