Dancer Abbie Quinnen has joined London Fire Brigade in warning young people against trying dangerous life hacks at home, over fears that the summer holidays could spark an increase in the number of fires caused by people following online videos.
Abbie and her boyfriend, AJ Pritchard, were copying a ‘life hack’ video, which involved setting fire to a rope dipped in a flammable solution to make a vase. When they lit the flame, the fire rapidly spread out of control, setting fire to her hair and clothes, resulting in her receiving second and third-degree burns.
Abbie talks to London Fire Brigade about her experience.
Speaking about her experience Abbie said: “I had just received some flowers and we had seen a video online which looked like a simple craft tutorial on how to make a vase from a wine bottle.
“It was whilst we were in lockdown and lots of people were filming themselves trying life hacks and posting them online. The video looked so harmless, but it went very wrong. As soon as we lit the rope, the fire jumped over, and instantly my top and hair went up in flames.”
Abbie spent the night in Intensive Care before spending five days at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital specialist burns unit. Following three skin grafts, she is continuing to recover and with a long journey ahead, she is using her experience to warn others of just how dangerous it can be to copy life hack videos of a similar nature.
The video Abbie flagged to firefighters is just one of several videos the Brigade has seen which advocates activities that pose a fire risk. Firefighters are growing increasingly concerned that young people could be putting themselves at risk of serious injury by copying them. A video posted on TikTok went viral last year after a woman shared her tips to cook a steak in a toaster. Firefighters who watched the video were shocked to see members of the public, and even some professional chefs, sharing videos of themselves trying it out.
Tiarna-Ann Pearce, a firefighter at Wimbledon Fire Station, said: “Life hacks can be handy, but it’s important to be aware of when they can be dangerous.
“There are lots of videos out there advising people to use appliances or other objects in ways other than for their intended use, like using toasters to cook meat. Toasters need to be kept clean to prevent fires and are not designed to have fat dripping on to the electrics.
“Last year, firefighters attended 315 fires caused by people using equipment unsafely, which not only means people are putting themselves at risk, but also takes away our resources from other emergencies.
“If you see a video online that looks like it could put yourself or others in any danger, please don’t try it at home.”
Abbie is continuing her work to highlight the potential dangers of life hack videos and has set up a petition campaigning for instructional videos that include a naked flame to come with a warning.
Speaking together with Abbie, AJ Pritchard said: “This video had around nine million views, we didn’t think it would be so dangerous and we want to make sure that others don’t put themselves in the same situation. If we had known how risky it was, or if there had been a warning, maybe we wouldn’t be in the position we’re in today.”
Abbie added: “It really worries me that this video is still out there for people to see and whilst I initially wanted to hide what had happened, it’s really important for me to speak out on this and raise awareness of just how real a risk this is.
“If anyone sees these types of videos online, don’t try them, especially if you’re alone. Be careful and pause and think before copying them. I had AJ and his bother Curtis there with me and I was lucky to have acted so quickly, but if there are young people who are thinking of trying this alone it could be a different story.”