China actress Wang Tianyu suffered burns to her face and neck after attempting a viral fire-breathing stunt.
The 26-year-old, who appeared in Stephen Chow’s movie The Mermaid (2016), shared in a Xiaohongshu video on March 8 that she attempted the challenge after she saw multiple videos of it on the platform.
In the video, she expels alcohol from her mouth over a small candle-lit cake.
As the alcohol catches fire from the candle flames, it ignites the cake into a huge ball of fire that also spread towards Tianyu’s face. Her face and hair are caught in blue flames, as she drops the cake and wipes her face quickly.
According to Britannica, blue fire indicates the hottest flame, which is about 1,500 degrees Celsius.
Tianyu also recorded herself travelling to the hospital, where she received treatment on her neck, chin and lips.
She shared on Douyin separately that she had also singed her eyelashes and didn’t suffer damage to her vocal cords.
In her Xiaohongshu post, she wrote: “I thought this was a safe, trendy challenge that influencers attempted, so I followed along.
“I used 96 per cent alcohol and the flames spread, burning my chin and neck. I’m still recovering. This kind of content that prioritises ‘coolness’ for clicks while deliberately concealing huge safety hazards is incredibly irresponsible.
“Platform algorithms and content creators package danger as trendiness, hiding the risk of burns behind filters and background music. This isn’t sharing, it’s endangering people.”
She added that the purpose of her video is to warn others of the dangers of attempting the challenge and to exercise caution and discretion when viewing content online.
Tianyu ended her post with: “Safety is always more important than vibes. Don’t gamble your life for a viral shot… I hope everyone who sees this will learn from my mistake. Don’t be like me, who followed trends blindly and suffered terrible consequences.
Caution: Disturbing video below.
趣闻：中国内地演员王添羽，过27岁生日表演喷火被烫伤。
事实证明，街头艺人的生计还是有护城河的🤣 pic.twitter.com/9HA47nPuhA
— KK.aWSB (@KKaWSB) March 9, 2026
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