Teenagers set themselves on FIRE as part of a new social media ‘challenge’ that is leaving them in hospital with serious burns

Daily Mail

Teenagers are setting themselves on fire in a desperate attempt to find fame on the internet, hospital staff have revealed.

The latest idiotic craze to sweep the internet- called the Fire Challenge – has seen teenagers film themselves dousing their bodies in accelerant and lighting it.  

In Wales, more and more cases are being seen by medical experts after the craze which began in 2014 picked up again.

Specialist staff at Swansea’s Morriston Hospital have confirmed that they have seen a recent rise in the number of teenagers who are being admitted to hospital with serious burns.

While the hospital did not wish to provide details of the different challenges, a quick search online reveals the scale of the problem.

Youngsters are challenged to pour liquid on themselves and set themselves on fire in the latest insane ‘craze’.

This has resulted in people requiring surgery and life-support treatment.

Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board is now issuing a warning and some advice to anyone who has taken part in any of these challenges online.

‘I can understand there is pressure on young people to gain acceptance or boost their online profiles by doing such risky things as these challenges,’ said Jeremy Yarrow, a plastic surgeon at Morriston Hospital.

‘But from the patients I see, the results can be very different, with some requiring life support treatment and many left with lifelong scars.’

Mr Yarrow added that, while most teenagers presenting with burns are treated as outpatients, some are hospitalised for a considerable length of time.

‘In some severe and sometimes life-threatening cases, they are admitted to hospital for long periods of time for complex surgery resulting in long term mental and physical issues,’ he said.

While the health board would not release specific details of the challenges doing the rounds online, they did confirm that there are ‘various’ ones being attempted by teenagers.

 In August, a 12-year-old girl from Detroit burned 49 per cent of her body in the bizarre trend.

Timiyah Landers performed the challenge in front of two friends at her home in Detroit, Michigan, after her mother had made them pancakes.

Within minutes of her mother leaving the girls alone, there was a ‘loud explosion’ and Timiyah became engulfed in flames.

Her stepfather put her in the bath and immediately began spraying water on her body while her mother tore off her burning clothes.

Timiyah was put on a ventilator in intensive care and bandaged from head to her knees.

Ana Biney, a staff nurse at Morriston Hospital’s Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery, said: ‘They copy them from social media and YouTube and call them YouTube Challenges.

‘They film each other doing the challenges and then upload them in the hope they will become social media stars.

‘We have definitely seen an increase in the number of teenagers who have suffered quite serious burns because of this.’

Ms Biney added: ‘Good first aid is essential. If you do it right, it

can have a massive effect on the burn.

‘But of course the best thing to do is not to take part in these

stunts in the first place. They may look exciting and spectacular on

social media but the reality is very different.

‘They could be killed or scarred for life.’


https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6397807/Teenagers-set-FIRE-new-social-media-challenge.html

14 thoughts on “Teenagers set themselves on FIRE as part of a new social media ‘challenge’ that is leaving them in hospital with serious burns

  1. They’re finally catching on to the fire challenge? Jeez, get with the times, guys!

    A few+ years ago, I read a story about some drunk Alaskan guys arguing and betting on whether you could decapitate yourself with your own chainsaw. Turns out it’s possible. Who knew?

    That should be the new challenge.

    And celine’s new gender neutral children’s clothing line is co-designed by iris adler and tali milchberg. Who would believe a couple its-notreal joos would create such an abomination?

  2. This is horrible.

    I mean….

    Social media is a slow burn cancer on humanity.

    It not only separates human interactions or face time.

    It marginalizes feelings and values into a nametag or post friendly censorship.

    But I have to look at the bright side.

    It’s mainly white people that are doing this.

    Because black people already know what its like to be burned.

  3. Brain dead , just how do you think it’s ok to set your self on fire is ok . Do you not think how bad it’s going to hurt. . Don’t care how hard you try you just can’t fix stupid and yet people think the can

  4. So these kids are ruining their lives because they want to be celebrities?? I got a better idea–learn to write,spell, grammar, etc., then write fiction novels about fiction celebrities. You may never be a celebrity (and at this point being a celebrity is the LAST THING I want!), but at least you’ll likely live a decent life.

  5. That video was jaw-dropping. I wonder who fired up (pun irresistible) this challenge. Could it be a backdoor eugenics agency? Or an insurance company? Hard to believe kids would do this without extreme programming. I did some crazy stuff when I was young, but this looks like a full-on death-wish. Another symptom of a sick society, limping along. Sad.

    .

  6. Just like the idiots that took “The Tide Pod Challenge”, these idiots are free to bleach themselves out of the gene pool.

  7. Oh boy I have seen it all..Is it time to check out!. To think I have lived long enough to see how dumb the young generation is.

Join the Conversation

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


*