A 12-year-old Detroit girl was severely burned over the weekend after attempting the so-called “fire challenge,” landing her in the hospital after she singed about 50 percent of her body.
The incident took place Friday night, when Timiyah Landers and her friends decided to take part in the challenge, which they had learnt about on YouTube, WSMV reported.
The fire challenge in the latest disturbing trend making the rounds on social media and, according to the National Fire Protection Association, requires participants to pour a flammable liquid onto their body and then set it alight before rushing to douse the flames as quickly as possible.
Landers was at her home on the 200 block of Cherokee in Detroit when she decided to attempt the challenge, The Detroit News reported.
Her mother Brandi Owens, 35, was with her fiancé Marquell Sholar, 39, when they “heard a pop” and went to investigate only to find Landers running around and screaming hysterically as the flames engulfed her.
Owens immediately ripped off her daughter’s and Sholar dashed with her to the shower to put her under cold running water but she had already sustained severe burn wounds.
Driving to the hospital, Owens Landers said she was on the verge of panic as her daughter apologized through tears.
Doctors said Landers should make a full recovery and scarring should be minimal but a long road lies ahead for the family.
Landers will have to undergo three or four more surgeries and is expected to be in hospital for months, where she lies with a feeding tube inserted into her throat, the Detroit News noted.
With her seventh-grade school year about to start, she may have to be homeschooled and Owens is concerned about how it will affect her daughter’s grades.
A recent study showed just how far reaching the fire challenge is and the severity of its implications.
Researchers reported that of 50 videos selected for the study, 13 included postburn footage which showed burn wounds of various intensities sustained to the body and face.
"The lure of a challenge and potential for a shocking video to ‘go viral’ might entice people to mimic this risky behavior,” researchers noted.
“This study shows a disturbing trend, but undoubtedly only reflects a small portion of actual participants.”
The latest challenge follows on the heels of an equally disturbing trend, the “hot water challenge,” which most recently left an Indianapolis teen with serious injuries after his friend threw scalding water over him while he was asleep.
In light of these incidents, Owens pleaded with parents to talk to their children, Detroit News noted.
“Monitor what they’re doing on social media,” she said. “Keep them off YouTube and Facebook. I wouldn’t want another mother to ever go through this.”
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