HOLDEN, Mass. (CNN) – — The Massachusetts Fire Marshal is warning of a viral video challenge that could cause a fire. Peter J. Ostroskey wrote in a letter to fire departments about the trend on social media platform TikTok that he calls an “unsafe use of electricity and fire.”
“It involves using the plug part of a phone charger, partially inserting it into the wall outlet, and then sliding a penny down the wall onto the exposed prongs,” Ostroskey writes. “The result is sparks, electrical system damage, and in some cases fire.”
“It doesn’t take much to be electrocuted, fatally electrocuted just by an outlet in a wall socket,” Plymouth Fire Department Chief Ed Bradley said.
Firefighters responded to Plymouth North High School Tuesday afternoon for a report of an electrical outlet that was sparking.
“The electricity propels the charger and the coin. Now the coin is molten metal at this point, outwards. It could easily get you in the face, get you in the eye. It could cause blindness and it could cause your clothing to catch on fire,” Bradley said.
Parents are being advised to look for signs of their kids participating in this challenge, and to have a conversation with them about fire and electrical safety.
“The other issue can be that you do damage to some electrical wiring behind the wall and a fire could be undetected and burning in the walls, endangering everyone in the building,” Bradley said.
