STOW, Mass. — State Fire Marshal Jon Davine and Massachusetts fire chiefs are cautioning against a social media "challenge" that encourages inserting conductive objects into laptop computer ports. This action can lead to short circuits, increased temperatures, smoke, sparks, or fire, potentially causing injury.

 

According to State Fire Marshal Davine, over a dozen incidents or attempted incidents related to this trend have been reported by Massachusetts fire departments within the past week. He indicated that the trend appears to have originated on TikTok and involves inserting items such as paper clips or pencil lead into a laptop's charging or other ports. 

 

"We've received more than a dozen reports from Massachusetts fire departments of young people engaging in this behavior in less than a week... There are probably many more that responsible adults haven't heard of or officially reported," Davine stated. "No matter how smart your kids or students might be, please impress upon them that the only thing you should place in a computer port is the appropriate cord."

 

Foxborough Fire Chief Michael Kelleher, president of the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts, highlighted the potential dangers of tampering with electronic devices, noting that most modern laptops use lithium-ion batteries, which can ignite if damaged. He warned that such incidents could cause injury and lead to the spread of fire to nearby materials.

 

The majority of reported incidents involved school-issued laptops and were reportedly stopped by teachers. These incidents occurred in Barnstable, Essex, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, and Worcester Counties, beginning around May 6. While one minor injury has been reported, some cases involved heavy smoke and damage to the devices.

 

Fire officials noted that this is not the first instance of social media trends involving risky fire-related behavior, citing a 2020 challenge that involved dropping a coin onto a partially inserted power plug, which resulted in electrical fires and damage.