PORT ANGELES, Washington -- A game of tag with a flame and lighter fluid has sent an unidentified man to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle to be treated for serious injuries, said the Clallam County Fire District No. 2 chief.
Volunteer paramedics and emergency medical technicians were called to an area 2 miles east of Port Angeles at about 8 p.m. Monday, said Fire Chief Jon Bugher.
Bugher said several people had been playing a game called "lighter tag," which involves squirting themselves with lighter fluid and then lighting the clothing of the person who is "it."
The tagged person beats the flames out before "tagging" another person.
Bugher refused to name the person who was burned, give his age, or say exactly where he was when he was burned, citing the patient privacy law of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA.
Without a name, hospital personnel cannot report the condition of a patient.
Bugher said he was told by people at the residence that lighter tag is a new fad, but this is the first incident he has heard of in Clallam County.
"To be honest with you, in my mind, I was just stunned," he said.
"It sure scared us."
He added, "If people are doing this, if they are teenagers or young adults, they are really putting themselves at risk.
"If someone comes home and their clothing looks singed or burned, people need to be asking and be aware."
Although Clallam County sheriff's deputies weren't called to investigate, Sheriff Bill Benedict said he will look into the incident to see if criminal charges would be appropriate.
Benedict said this is also the first time he has heard of such a game.
Citing privacy laws, Bugher also declined to say how many people he believed were playing lighter tag.
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