Elderly man trying to open bag of chips with lighter burns his body | US News

An elderly man tried to use a lighter to open a bag of chips – only for it to go painfully awry.

The man opted for using a lighter when he was not able to get the bag open the conventional way on Wednesday afternoon, said Bruce Frazier, a spokesman for the city of Dalton, Georgia.

Frazier told the New York Post: ‘The victim… was using a lighter to open bags of chips which he was unable to do with his hands.

‘While doing this, the man accidentally set himself on fire while sitting in a recliner.’

Maintenance workers sprayed the man and the recliner with water using a hose.

He was rushed to a hospital in Chattanooga with third-degree burns over more than 75% of his body, according to Channel 2 Action News.

The man, who has not been identified, was then taken to a burn center.

His condition was not immediately known.

It was not clear if the chips, the bag, or another material caused fire to engulf the man.

Chips are considered highly flammable because they contain a high amount of oil and starch, VICE reported.

It was unclear what brand of chips the man was trying to eat.

The incident took place at an apartment complex on the 2300 block of Sir Lancelot Place in Dalton, which is just over 30 miles southeast of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and about 90 miles northwest of Atlanta, Georgia.

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