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A 12-year-old girl in Georgia is currently recovering after suffering third-degree burns from a social media challenge gone wrong. According to 11Alive, the stunt is the “fire challenge.”
According to the outlet, the “fire challenge” is when flammable substances, including one’s body, are ignited and recorded on camera. However, the fire is extinguished before it spreads.
Parade reports that this can include spraying a mirror with hairspray and then setting it on fire or putting hand sanitizer on one’s body and lighting that area on fire. Additionally, the report adds that the challenge can also include dousing any object in light fluid and setting it on fire.
According to 11Alive, Kenzie Luckey attempted the challenge on July 30 by reportedly setting fire to alcohol she placed her body. However, the highly flammable substance unexpectedly exploded.
Luckey’s older sister, Rhema Napper, reportedly heard the 12-year-old’s screams and rushed to her aid.
“I heard another scream and it was like bloodcurdling. Like it was really bad,” Napper recalled.
The older sister then managed to smother the flames by wrapping her legs around the 12-year-old and rubbing her face on her body.
“I wrap my legs around her. I started rubbing my face on her and I got all the flames off,” she explained.
Napper sustained third-degree burns to her arms and legs. Luckey suffered third-degree burns to her arms, torso, and face.
Additionally, the 12-year-old is now receiving treatment for her injuries at Grady Hospital.
Kenzie Luckey’s mother, Sheikinah Napper, spoke exclusively with the outlet and shared more details regarding her daughter’s road to recovery.
“She’ll be in the hospital for at least a month. At least a month… She’s already had to have two blood transfusions.”
Additionally, Napper adds that her daughter consistently “wakes up in the middle of the night” and “always” screams “out in pain.”
Before concluding the interview, the mother urged other families to stay aware of social media trends and monitor their children’s online activities.
“I had never heard of the fire challenge before this incident and I wish I was more aware,” she explained.
Luckey’s older sister also echoed the same sentiments, speaking directly to those who engage in online challenges.
“Just don’t do everything that you see on there. It’s not funny. It’s not cute,” she said. “And it is so dangerous and scary. And it can really change your life.”
According to Parade, the “fire challenge” started on social media in 2021. Since then, it has injured numerous children and teens, with one having to undergo as many as 50 surgeries to treat their injuries, as reported by PEOPLE.
