‘Outlet Challenge’ on TikTok sparks outrage – and fires, Massachusetts officials warn

Fire officials in Massachusetts are warning about the dangers of a new TikTok ‘outlet challenge’ that involves dropping a penny onto a wall outlet while a phone charger is plugged in.

Peter J. Ostroskey, state fire marshal, sent a letter to fire departments about the viral trend.

“It involves using the plug part of a phone charger, partially inserting it into the wall outlet, and the sliding a penny down the wall onto the exposed prongs.,” he wrote. “The result is sparks, electrical system damage, and in some cases fire.”

There have been three incidents of the challenge so far in Plymouth, Westford, and Holden, Ostroskey said in the letter.

In Holden, a “concerned mother” sent a photo of a burned outlet to a news organization, he said.

Two students did the challenge at Plymouth North High School on Jan. 21 and the Plymouth Fire Department responded to the scene, finding two outlets that were scorched in a classroom, according to a press release.

Firefighters said they found a blackened iPhone charger and a penny that was fused to the prongs.

The two students, both 15-year-old males, are being charged with “attempted arson and malicious damage to property under $1,200” according to a Plymouth Police Department press release.

“I am happy to report that there were no injuries or significant damage to Plymouth North High School as a result of their irresponsible act of shorting out an electrical outlet,” school superintendent Gary Maestas wrote in a Twitter post. “This act has ignited fires in other schools in Massachusetts and other states causing disruption of the school day and significant damages to schools. We are working with the Plymouth Police and Fire Departments to fully understand the scope of this issue and pursue charges to the to the fullest extent of the law.”

Another student ignited an outlet at Westford Academy and set off the school’s fire alarm, Westford Fire Department Spokesman Donald Parsons told CNN.

“This was a very serious incident that could have caused a lot more damage,” Westford Academy Principal James Antonelli said in a statement. “The student involved has been identified and the Westford Academy administration is taking appropriate action at this time.”

The student is being charged with arson and malicious damage to property, Westford Police Department Capt. Victor Neal told CNN.

This story was originally published January 24, 2020 at 10:09 AM with the headline "‘Outlet Challenge’ on TikTok sparks outrage – and fires, Massachusetts officials warn."