A Michigan mother whose 12-year-old son was badly burned after a friend set him on fire in a social media stunt is warning others about the “fire challenge.”
Tabitha Cleary of Dearborn Heights told NBC affiliate WDIV of Detroit that her son Jason suffered second-degree burns after a friend sprayed him with nail polish remover and set him on fire.
The 12-year-old was hospitalized for four days after the incident Saturday at a friend’s house.
In 2017, a North Carolina boy spent weeks in the hospital recovering from his burn injuries.
Rondarius Barndhart, 7, and his brother first tried to light a fire on his hand.
“So their next idea was to spray more on something, which was Rondarius’ shirt. He lit it and in one light – it went up in flames,” his mother, Porshia Walker, said.
Porshia was at work at the time of the incident but her son was at home with her father who helped get the diminish the flames.
Porshia is using this unfortunate situation as an opportunity to warn other parents. She is urging them to pay attention to what their kids are watching.
“With anything being on the internet, our kids are able to get at it. And it’s dangerous because, they can act out like my son did,” she said.
Last year, a 12-year-old Detroit girl spent two months in the hospital after suffering second- and third-degree burns in the dangerous stunt, WDIV reported.
Timiyah Landers and her mother Brandi Owens also issue a warning.
The New Jersey Division of Fire Safety in 2014 issued a statewide emergency bulletin about the dangers of the challenge after injuries across the nation.
YouTube in January announced it would be cracking down on harmful or dangerous viral challenge or prank videos.
The platform operates on a strike policy — a violation of the rules results in a strike. Three strikes within a three-month period will result in the termination of a channel, according to YouTube, although content creators can appeal a strike.
It’s good to know that YouTube is cracking down on these ridiculous challenges. Reminding everyone to please monitor what your babies watch online so these incidents will not happen again.
