A teenager in Pennsylvania was left intubated with severe burns after attempting the ‘fire-breathing’ challenge seen on social media.
The Allegheny County 14-year-old girl attempted to ‘breathe fire’ using isopropyl alcohol after seeing a TikTok trend, while officials say the girl is lucky to have survived the stunt.
‘Luckily, in this particular case, it did not burn the building down,’ Al Hussey, Wilmerding Borough Fire Marshal, told ABC 7.
‘But somebody got really hurt and is going to have life-altering injuries.’
The girl attempted the viral challenge on Friday night inside an apartment building.
‘We are not meant to breathe fire as human beings,’ Hussey told the outlet.
‘First and foremost, you can lose your life. Second, you can have life-altering injuries to your appearance. Third, you could injure others in a building where you’re in, or a room, or the home.
‘At the least, you’re going to have life-altering injuries, end up in the burn unit.’
The Allegheny County teen girl attempted to ‘breathe fire’ using isopropyl alcohol after seeing a TikTok trend, while officials say the girl is lucky to have survived the stunt
The ‘fire-breathing’ trend sparked on TikTok
Pitcairn Fire Chief Tommy Dick said that the chemical is ‘supposed to be for cleaning off wounds and cuts’ and not for ‘ingesting and trying to blow fire’
The girl was left with severe burns to her face, neck and chest as emergency services took her to UPMC Mercy’s Burn Center.
Hussey told KDKA that the girl was intubated as of Sunday.
‘It’s not a very smart thing for anybody to do, let alone children,’ Pitcairn Fire Chief Tommy Dick told the outlet.
Dick added that the chemical is ‘supposed to be for cleaning off wounds and cuts’ and not for ‘ingesting and trying to blow fire.’
‘This could have easily gone inside their digestive tract and she could have died.
‘Just because you’ve seen it on social media doesn’t mean you should do it.’
The fire chief said that there was no active fire when emergency crews arrived on scene.
Now, Hussey is urging parents to pay close attention to their children’s access to household products.
Nine-year-old Caleb was left with severe burns to his face after he took part in a dangerous TikTok trend on January 20
Caleb placed a Needoh cube (pictured) in his microwave at home that morning. When he opened it, the gel-filled toy exploded on him
‘If they’re doing their hair with chemicals, if they’re taking isopropyl alcohol in the room, or any type of fingernail polish remover. Obviously, monitor your lighters and your matches and educate your children,’ he added.
‘Practice fire safety with your families and make sure that you’re active in their lives,’ Dick added.
The Daily Mail reached out to TikTok for comment.
The dangerous stunt comes just a month after a nine-year-old boy was left severely injured from burns after microwaving a toy as part of another TikTok trend.
While getting ready for school on January 20, Caleb had stuck a Needoh cube in the microwave.
Moments later, the Illinois boy began letting out blood curdling screams as his mother rushed to the commotion.
The toy, filled with a thick gel substance, had exploded in the boy’s face. The trend online saw others heating up the toy in the microwave to soften it, seen as the toy hardens over time.
‘When I asked what happened, he told me that a friend at school told him about putting it in the microwave,’ his mother, Whitney Grubb, told the Chicago Sun Times.
‘It wasn’t anything malicious, it was just kids sharing stories, and unfortunately, he decided to try it.’
Caleb was left with second-degree burns to his face, hands (left), and another behind one of his ears (right)
Caleb was left with second-degree burns to his face, hands, and another behind one of his ears.
His eye was also ‘completely swollen shut’ after the toy exploded, Grubb told CBS News.
According to Kelly McElligott, a burn outreach coordinator with Loyola, Caleb was left in so much pain because the gelatin material is ‘so vicious.’
‘Because it’s so viscous, it sticks, and it stays hot longer, it’s going to cause a more significant burn,’ McElligott told the outlet.
Caleb eventually had all of his burns washed, his dead skin cut away, and ointment applied to his injuries.
Thankfully, an ophthalmologist said the boy’s eye was not damaged from the mishap.
Grubb said: ‘Just talk with your kids, make sure they understand the safety of the things.’
Each Needoh cube comes with a warning label that tells users not to heat them up.
A spokesperson with TikTok told the Chicago Sun Times: ‘We remove these videos when we find them.’
