A 9-year-old boy burned more than 70% of his body by joining a dangerous viral social media trend known as the “fire challenge,” according to officials.
The unidentified boy is in “unbearable pain” and “lucky to be alive,” New Orleans Fire Department Chief Roman Nelson said in a video address warning families about the challenge where social-media users set themselves ablaze just to see how quickly they can put out the flames.
“It’s very dangerous. It is not fun, and it is not funny,” said New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick, who joined Nelson in the video.
Nelson wants parents to have a conversation with their children about how dangerous the challenge and other “extreme behaviors” are on social media.
“Kids, don’t fall for this gimmick and don’t feel peer pressure to take part in it. Your life is not worth it,” she added.
The fire challenge is when a participant “douses his or herself in a household accelerant such as isopropyl alcohol or acetone, sets him or herself ablaze, and attempts to extinguish the flames before serious burns are incurred,” according to The National Library of Medicine.
The New Orleans Fire Department did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.