Another dangerous, viral TikTok challenge has prompted urgent warnings from the Colorado Springs fire department about students in the Pikes Peak region intentionally setting their laptops on fire.
The challenge, known as the “Chromebook Challenge,” encourages students to jam objects, like paper clips and pencils, into the USB port of their school-issued laptop, causing them to short-circuit, smoke or catch fire.
Schools in the Pikes Peak region have contacted the fire department for 16 incidents, a department spokesperson said Friday, though none required a response from the fire department.
The challenge poses serious health risks, the fire department warned in a news release Friday. If the lithium-ion battery were to catch on fire, it would be very difficult to extinguish. The batteries can also explode and release toxic fumes.
Several students have been referred to the fire department’s Youth Firesetter Intervention Program, which teaches fire safety awareness. In Colorado, if a fire is set by a child at school or an event sponsored by a school, the incident must be reported to the local fire department. The incident must also be reported to the state’s Division of Fire Prevention and Control.
The fire department is encouraging parents to talk to their kids about the risks associated with tampering with any electronic device.
The challenge has prompted warnings from school districts across the state and country.
No injuries were reported after students set their school-issued Chromebooks ablaze, but some flooring and tabletops were damaged, a spokesperson for Boulder Valley School District said. (Photos provided by Boulder Valley School District)
A student at Centaurus High School in Lafayette is seen stomping on a school-issued Chromebook before setting it on fire in a hallway. Schools officials found the video on social media before it was taken down. (Video provided by Boulder Valley School District)
In a letter sent to parents earlier this week, the Boulder Valley School District said six fires were started on school grounds after students participated in the challenge. No injuries were reported, but some floors and tabletops were damaged, district spokesperson Randy Barber said.
“We encourage families to connect with their children and share the potential consequences,” the letter said. “It is all of our responsibility to take care of each other and school property on a daily basis.”
The fires were set between May 2 and May 7 at Centaurus High School, Broomfield Heights Middle School, Angevine Middle School, Eldorado PK-8 and Broomfield High School, Barber said. All students will face disciplinary action.
In one incident, at Centaurus High School, a student filmed themselves stomping on the laptop and setting it ablaze in a hallway and then posted the video to social media. School officials saw it before it was taken offline.
In some cases, schools have been evacuated and some students have been arrested for arson. In Connecticut, a middle school student was sent to the hospital after participating in the challenge.