The “Fire Challenge” is once again proving to be one of the most idiotic and dangerous social media challenges. In the “Fire Challenge” participants douse themselves with a flammable liquid such as rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover and allow themselves to be set on fire. Supposedly, the point is to stand in the flames until someone puts them out.
For one Orange County, Florida teen playing this stupid and dangerous game may cost him his life. Robert Seals, 15, is now in critical condition after being set on fire by a 12-year-old friend. Seals suffered 2nd degree burns and had to be airlifted to a special burn unit at Shriner’s Hospitals for Children in Cincinnati, OH.
If Seals survives, he will now have life-long scars and possible breathing difficulties. Seals’s parents want charges brought against the 12-year-old who set him on fire and another unidentified minor. Police have stated that Seals willingly participated in the deadly game but the other children involved could face charges of culpable-negligence.
A simple word search on Google or YouTube pulls up multiple links with videos and pictures of adults and youth participating in the “Fire Challenge.” But rarely are the images seen of the aftermath of the dare, which can include 2nd and 3rd degree burns, skin infections, organ failure, permanent scarring and sepsis. The children involved in Seals’s tragic accident did not record a video of the event,
