12-year-old girl burned on half of her body after trying viral 'fire challenge'
DETROIT, Michigan -- A 12-year-old girl is in the hospital with severe burns after setting herself on fire in the so-called "fire challenge."
Timiyah Landers has 2nd and 3rd degree burns on 49 percent of her body.
Timiyah's mother, Brandi Owens, told WXYZ she heard commotion outside of her bedroom on Friday.
"Next thing I know, she comes running through the hallway, past my bedroom, going into the bathroom on fire," Owens explained.
She and her fiance extinguished the flames that engulfed Timiyah and rushed the girl to the hospital.
The fire challenge involves pouring a flammable liquid on yourself and setting yourself on fire. It's usually caught on camera and posted online.
"My daughter knew better, she knew her right from her wrong," Owens said.
She adds that she's also upset with the websites that show the challenges.
"They need to delete this mess. It should be censored. Things like that should be censored. That's nothing that a kid's supposed to come across," Owens added.
She's now warning other parents about the dangerous online trend.
"Monitor your kids, especially if a friend comes over and says, 'Hey, I tried it before. Let's do it. It was fun.' With me, it was a blink of my eye, and now my daughter is fighting for her life," she said.
Timiyah will likely remain hospitalized for several more months and need multiple additional surgeries.
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