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Police: Mom helped son partake in 'fire challenge'

Janie Talley
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Police say they arrested a 41-year-old Charlotte woman accused of helping her teen son set himself on fire as part of a dare known as the "fire challenge" that is gaining popularity in social media.

Participants in the challenge pour flammable liquids on themselves and set them ablaze, hopefully extinguishing the flames before they burn the skin.

A spokesman for the Jaycee Burn Center in Chapel Hill says the hospital has had a 12-year-old and a 14-year-old in the past three weeks with serious burns from the challenge.

Police say Janie Talley's 16-year-old son suffered minor burns when he panicked after setting himself on fire. Others had to help him put out the fire, which was videotaped and posted online.

Talley was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. It wasn't known if she had a lawyer.

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