Janie Talley, North Carolina Mother, Arrested For Helping Son With Viral 'Fire Challenge'

A North Carolina mother has been charged for enabling her son to set himself on fire and record it for a “Fire Challenge” video that went viral, police said. The challenge involves people recording a video as they set themselves alight and then uploading the footage to social media outlets like YouTube, Twitter and Vine.

Police say Janie Lachelle Talley, 41, was arrested last Wednesday by Charlotte Youth Crimes detectives and charged with contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile. The Charlotte mother's arrest came after the Department of Social Services was notified about the video, which was recorded July 29.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police detectives said Talley was “was present and aware of what her son (was) doing and facilitated the recording” of the stunt. The 16-year-old youth suffered minor burns to his neck and chest after pouring finger nail polish on his chest and neck and igniting it. It isn’t clear if Talley has an attorney, the AP reported.

The Fire Challenge has grown in popularity in the last few months, with health officials and authorities warning people of the dangers of the stunt. Several teens and adults have been seriously burned while participating in the fire challenge, including a 26-year-old man who was hospitalized last week in the Cayman Islands after setting himself on fire, the Cayman Compass reported.