Fire challenge is an activity which refers to the application of

flammable A combustible material is something that can burn (i.e., ''combust'') in air. A combustible material is flammable if it ignites easily at ambient temperatures. In other words, a combustible material ignites with some effort and a flammable mat ...

liquids to one's body and then setting the liquids aflame, while being video recorded. The footage is then posted to

social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...

sites. Firefighters, police officers and media sources have criticized and spoken out against the activity, hoping to dissuade individuals from trying it due to its harmful nature. The first known fire challenge video was uploaded in 2012. The activity gained mainstream media attention in 2014.

Effect

Immediate first through second degree

burn A burn is an injury to skin, or other tissues, caused by heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, friction, or ultraviolet radiation (like sunburn). Most burns are due to heat from hot liquids (called scalding), solids, or fire. Burns occur mainl ...

s are the direct results of undergoing the activity. One teenager from

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

who participated in the challenge described the subsequent pain as "unbearable." In addition to the obvious dangers, many participants run away in panic without dousing the flames first, allowing the oxygen to cause the flames to spread more easily. Another immediate danger is the participants inhaling superheated air, which can then damage the

lungs The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of th ...

Reactions

The

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, in response to viewing a video of a youth attempting the challenge:

"We're basically speechless. We hang out with guys who eat lightbulbs, and we're still shocked. Granted, those guys are trained professional performers, where as this appears to be a misguided youth. The scariest part is that he's not the only person who is doing this."

Writing for the ''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'', Caitlin Dewey noted "

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

has known its fair share of dangerous, destructive and ill-advised trends, but even by those standards, the "fire challenge" hits new lows." Multiple local and state fire departments have spoken out against the fire challenge, often citing the significant harm and the unpredictability of fire for their reasoning.

References

{{Challenges Challenges 2010s fads and trends Internet memes introduced in 2012 Fire