Viral TikTok fire challenge leaves teen with severe burns
A teenage girl is in the intensive care unit with serious burns after attempting a viral TikTok challenge which involved playing with fire.
Destini Crane, from the US state of Oregon, was in her bathroom filming a video when her family heard her screaming.
The challenge involves spraying a mirror with flammable liquid in shapes or symbols, and turning the light off before setting fire to it and watching the shapes light up.
The family of the 13-year-old rushed to help her and saw “everything was on fire”.
“It was unreal. Heartbreaking like I don’t think anyone wants to see their daughter on fire. It was horrible,” Destini’s mother, Kimberly Crane, told Fox19.
Destini’s neck and right arm were severely burned in the incident, which has also left her unable to talk and properly explain what went wrong.
Inside the bathroom, Destini’s family found a broken candle, a lighter and a burned bottle of rubbing alcohol.
Destini’s sister, Andrea, said her sister’s friends told her she had been filming a TikTok video, leading them to the conclusion that she had been trying the ‘fire challenge’ before she was set alight.
Portland firefighter Rob Garrison said social media challenges are incredibly risky.
"This is maybe one of the most dangerous things I've ever seen anybody do in my life," he told Fox19.
"You could be standing next to a lake if you want and light yourself on fire, and by the time you hit the water, you're probably going to have burns on your body."
Destini has had a tracheotomy and has to have skin grafts on her arm and neck.
Her family are warning other parents to monitor what their children are doing on social media.
They predict Destini will be in hospital for at least the next few months.
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