Derby High School student burns laptop, table while doing TikTok challenge

A Derby High School student caught a laptop on fire trying to duplicate a TikTok challenge, the fire department said.

It’s unclear if the student faces any discipline. The district, during a news conference Friday, said they don’t share information about disciplinary action, according to Derby Fire and Rescue fire marshal Jonathan Marr.

Firefighters were called to the high school at 11:30 a.m. Thursday after a student tried to short-circuit their school-issued laptop in a classroom, leading to it to catch fire. Short-circuiting it is part of the challenge. The fire is a common byproduct of doing so. The TikTok trend is called the “Chromebook Challenge.” It’s one in a series of dangerous trends on social media; others include teaching and challenging you to steal Hyundai vehicle and eating Tide pods meant to clean laundry.

By the time firefighters arrived, the fire was out and laptop was outside. The laptop and table the laptop were on were damaged, Marr said.

“It’s important to communicate, this isn’t a Tiktok prank,” the department said on Facebook. “It’s a potentially life-threatening act.”