An elderly man accidentally set himself on fire when he tried opening a bag of chips with a lighter.
The incident took place on Jan. 3 in the man’s apartment in Dalton, Georgia, roughly 90 miles northwest of Atlanta, The Charlotte Observer reported.
By the time the man was rescued, he was covered in third-degree burns across 75 percent of his body.
The 75-year-old — who remains anonymous — was struggling to open a bag of potato chips while he sat in a recliner, according to the Georgia Sun.
Unable to open the bag, he resorted to using a lighter, igniting himself and the chair.
The property’s maintenance team tried to keep the blaze under control with an ordinary hose until the fire department arrived three minutes later.
The man was rushed to a hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee, before being transferred to a burn center.
Dalton officials said they were unsure of the man’s condition as of Jan. 4, according to the Observer.
According to a 2015 study, “adults with over 40% total body surface area burned … are at high risk for morbidity and mortality.”
As for damage to the apartment, it is unclear how extensive the fire was beyond the recliner.
It is also unclear what brand of chips the man was trying to open or if it was even the chips that started the fire.
The Observer noted, however, that some chips are known to be flammable.
According to CNET, a consumer review website, snacks such as Doritos burn well because they contain carbohydrates, vegetable oil and salt, which “functions as a desiccant to make it easier for the fuel to burn.”
Below are clips of people setting Doritos on fire.
Today I Learned — @Doritos are highly flammable 🔥 pic.twitter.com/V6XL6rPWmT
— Darryl | November Black 🐦⬛ (@offearth3d) May 28, 2023
If Doritos are actually this flammable, imagine the inflammation they cause in your body… pic.twitter.com/gzD3ZoeIGz
— Matt Stephens (@MattSStephens) October 28, 2023
