The latest TikTok trend is leading to fire evacuations at schools across Connecticut.
As part of the trend, students are filming themselves inserting items such as pencils, paper clips, and pushpins into the charging ports of their school Chromebooks to set them on fire. Why? For a laugh and a brief break from schoolwork.
One such “tutorial” gained 1.5 million views on TikTok before being removed, showing a student pushing a lead pencil into the back left corner of the port. “You might have to wiggle it a bit,” the user explained.
Another student tried to film a “how-to” video last week, managing to cause a laptop fire and triggering an evacuation at Newington High School, as reported by WDBJ7. Since Monday, both Derby High School and Cromwell High School have experienced similar incidents.
“On Thursday, I was alerted by both my director of security and high school principal that we had a Chromebook that was smoking,” Maureen Brummett, superintendent of Newington Public Schools, told NBC Connecticut.
She further explained that after an investigation, it was clear that the damage to the laptop was “done intentionally” rather than being a result of a malfunction, and that students would be held accountable for replacing the school equipment.
“Chromebooks are expensive and they’re going up in price, so when a student does intentionally destroy a Chromebook, it’s their responsibility to replace it. We have an insurance program, but it’s not covering intentional damage,” she added.
DJ Zordon, a Newington fire marshal, described arriving at the scene to find a room filled with smoke. “We did see video from students . . . and that’s one of the biggest things. The batteries that are essentially catching on fire, once they burn, they’re producing this toxic smoke,” Zordon told NBC Connecticut.
For those thinking about participating in the trend, the consequences go beyond just a damaged Chromebook. “The school has to be evacuated, firefighters respond to the firehouse and subsequently to the scene, and it takes resources away from any other emergencies that might be happening at that time,” Zordon added.
While no injuries have been reported, when batteries like those in laptops catch fire, there is a risk of explosion, which could lead to burns or injury from flying shrapnel. Investigations are ongoing across the schools, and warnings have been issued to students and their families.
Maybe this is one trend to skip.
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