Child Severely Burned After Performing 'Whoosh Bottle Experiment' Challenge Seen on TikTok

A child from Connecticut suffered severe burns after performing “the whoosh bottle experiment,” a challenge apparently done by some users of the social media platform TikTok, officials said. 

Firefighters from the East Haven Fire Department responding to a call Tuesday found a child hurt, apparently from performing the experiment, which involves a water jug and flammable vapors, NBC Connecticut reported. 

The boy was taken to Yale Children's Hospital in New Haven, and later transferred to the Bridgeport Hospital Burn Center. 

Fire officials said in a statement that the child was performing the "whoosh bottle experiment," a demonstration that has typically been used to show the combustion of flammable vapors in a five-gallon water jug. The vapor inside the jug is ignited using a match in an attempt to make a loud "whoosh" sound,” People reported.

Fire Chief Matt Marcarelli said that “alcohol is a volatile flammable liquid and can act as an accelerant.” And, that the child’s experiment could have led to a fatality and a major fire in the house. 

East Haven Fire Marshal Charles Miller urged parents to monitor what their children are doing and talk with them about the potential dangers of using such materials. 

“Take a few minutes to talk your children about the dangers of playing with ignitable liquids and matches,” Miller said. "This experiment, when done incorrectly, can cause severe burns that can permanently scar an individual.”

TikTok said they would remove videos of experiments that do not show people taking the proper safety measures, People reported.

“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 TikTok spokesperson said in a statement. "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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