Pittsfield Fire Department warns of dangerous alcohol fire challenges

The Pittsfield Fire Department announced Oct. 19 that it is monitoring social media challenges that involve igniting isopropyl alcohol, warning that the trend has recently surfaced locally after circulating nationally for some time.

According to the department, these online challenges include so-called "fire-breathing" stunts in which children hold isopropyl alcohol in their mouths and blow it toward a flame, as well as drawing shapes with the alcohol and igniting them on mirrors or other surfaces, and pouring the alcohol on clothing or skin before setting it alight.

The department said these activities are extremely hazardous because isopropyl alcohol is highly flammable, vaporizes quickly and can ignite unexpectedly. It warned that resulting injuries can be life-altering, including long-term scarring, respiratory damage and risk of fatality, and that such incidents can easily spread into house fires that endanger entire households.

Fire officials said children are especially vulnerable to these trends because they often underestimate the consequences of fire, are influenced by viral content designed to provoke risky behavior, and do not understand how quickly alcohol vapors can ignite and spread.

The department recommended several prevention steps for parents and caregivers: storing isopropyl alcohol, nail polish remover and other solvents out of reach or in locked cabinets, securing lighters and matches, and monitoring children's social media activity. Officials urged parents to talk openly with children about dangerous trends, emphasizing that "just because you see something online doesn’t mean it’s a good idea."

The department also advised teaching early fire-safety basics, explaining that isopropyl alcohol burns fast, invisibly at times and unpredictably, and reinforcing that no fire stunt is safe even if it looks controlled on video. It encouraged families to model safe behavior with household chemicals and to create a home fire-safety plan that includes working smoke detectors on every level, along with practicing stop-drop-and-roll, safe evacuation routes and how to call emergency services.

Source: Town of Pittsfield announcement, October 19, 2026.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the original announcement.