A Georgia man severely burned himself while trying to use a lighter to open a bag of chips Wednesday afternoon, officials said, the New York Post reported.
The victim, 75, suffered third degree burns on over 75 percent of his body and was rushed to the nearby Erlanger Baroness Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the Georgian city of Dalton’s communications director Bruce Frazier informed the New York Post via a statement, according to the outlet.
Georgia man burned over 75 percent of body opening bag of chips with lighter https://t.co/ifclXw2Us1 pic.twitter.com/AV9ou8Om4S
— New York Post (@nypost) January 4, 2024
The incident occurred at an apartment complex in Dalton around 4:30 p.m, the statement revealed, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Five Children Who Were Home Alone Died In Fire While Father Was Christmas Shopping, Police Say: REPORT)
“The victim…was using a lighter to open bags of chips which he was unable to do with his hands. While doing this, the man accidentally set himself on fire while sitting in a recliner,” Frazier informed the New York Post in the statement.
Maintenance employees managed to contain the fire on the victim’s recliner with a water hose before firefighters showed up, according to the director’s statement, the outlet reported.
While the victim’s condition remains undisclosed, officials confirmed the 75-year-old was later transported to a burn center for further examination, according to the the outlet. Whether the chips caused the fire or it was due to another cause reportedly remains uncertain.
In May 2016, Canadian police arrested two teenagers who allegedly caused over $2 million in damages by allegedly setting a bag of chips on fire in an Ontario grocery store, according to Global News.
In December, a woman in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, allegedly doused her 50-year-old husband with a flammable liquid before allegedly igniting it. The burns reportedly covered 92 percent of the man’s body and caused him to later pass away in a hospital.