A Connecticut child has been hospitalized with severe burns after trying a popular TikTok challenge.
The East Haven Fire Department is warning residents about the dangers of the ‘whoosh bottle experiment’ after a 12-year-old boy in the area tried it at home and ended up in the Bridgeport Hospital Burn Center, according to Patch.
The experiment involves swirling isopropyl alcohol inside a large water cooler-sized water bottle, pouring the alcohol out, and then dropping a lit match inside — which creates a large blue flame and a ‘woosh’ sound.
The East Haven Fire Department was called in to help a 12-year-old boy who ended up in the Bridgeport Hospital Burn Center. He had been attempting the ‘woosh bottle experiment’ he found on TikTok (photo from another TikTok user’s video)
According to the New Haven Register, fire crews responded to the call on Tuesday night and the child was taken first to Yale Children’s Hospital in New Haven, then transferred to the Bridgeport Hospital Burn Center.
The fire department learned that the child, who has not been identified, had learned about the ‘woosh bottle experiment’ on TikTok.
Fire Chief Matt Marcarelli said: ‘This could easily have led to a fatality as well as a major fire in the house. Alcohol is a volatile flammable liquid and can act as an accelerant.’
East Haven Fire Marshal Charles Miller also warned parents to ‘take a few minutes to talk to your children about the dangers of playing with ignitable liquids and matches and monitor what they are watching. This experiment when done incorrectly can cause severe burns that can permanently scar an individual.’
It involves swirling isopropyl alcohol inside a large water cooler-sized water bottle, pouring the alcohol out, and then dropping a lit match inside. That creates a large blue flame and a ‘woosh’ sound (photos from another TikTok user’s video)
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The experiment can be performed by professionals in a controlled setting (photo from another TikTok user’s video)
The experiment is meant to show combustion, and is sometimes performed by teachers in a classroom setting.
Several videos can be found on YouTube and now TikTok of scientists and educators performing the stunt.
After the alcohol has been swirled around the inside of the bottle, coating the inside, a flame is introduced to the top.
The fire fills a ring around the inside of the bottle, moving slowly from the top until the bottom. Once it reaches the bottom, it flashes and flickers for a moment before extinguishing.
But playing with fire and flammable liquids can be quite dangerous, and TikTok is now working to remove videos of the experiment.
‘We understand that this school science experiment can be done safely with proper precautions, but videos without visible safety measures will be removed from our platform,’ a spokesperson said.
‘We also work to add caution labels to videos performed in a controlled setting, though they are ineligible for recommendation into people’s For You feeds.’
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