1 of 2 potato chips (picture is for illustrative purposes only)
Potato Chips (Image is for illustrative purposes only) Freepik
A 75yearold man suffered burns to three quarters of his body in his apartment in Dalton, Georgia, USA, on Wednesday afternoon (March 1) after he tried to open a bag of chips with a lighter.
The unidentified elderly man chose the lighter after he was unable to open the product the traditional way, Dalton city spokesman Bruce Frazier said, according to the NY Post.
“The victim used a lighter to open a bag of chips but was unable to do so with his hands. “The man accidentally set himself on fire while sitting in a lounger,” he explained.
Building maintenance workers used a hose to spray water on the elderly man and the recliner.
2 of 2 Buildings in Dalton (USA), where an elderly man suffered burns to 75% of his body when he tried to open a packet of chips with a lighter Photo: Reproduction/Google Maps Buildings in Dalton (USA), where a Elderly man burns suffered burns to 75% of his body while attempting to open a packet of potato chips with a lighter Photo: Reproduction/Google Maps
He was taken to a Chattanooga hospital with thirddegree burns, Channel 2 Action News said, and then transferred to a medical center that cares for burns.
Due to their composition, potato chips are considered highly flammable foods.
“Due to their mixture of starch and oil, chips are an almost perfectly combustible material for fires. Food and lifestyle blogs have repeatedly pointed out that a regular bag of chips can actually be used as a kindling agent in an emergency,” according to a report by VICE.
No information was given about the victim's health.
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