GROSSE ILE TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A high school in Grosse Ile was evacuated Thursday after a student may have caused a computer to catch fire.
According to authorities, police and multiple fire departments responded to the Grosse Ile High School on reports of a Chromebook on fire. The building was evacuated as a safety precaution.
One student was evaluated at a hospital as a precaution, but no major injuries have been reported.
School officials said the Chromebook was intentionally damaged by a student. Authorities are not naming the student due to their age.
Police believe the fire may have been related to the “Chromebook Challenge,” a social media trend where metal objects are shoved into computer ports, causing them to short-circuit and sometimes catch fire. The trend has caused fires at multiple schools and has even resulted in arson charges filed against a teen in New Jersey.
The fire remains under investigation by the Grosse Ile Police Department, who is urging parents to speak with their children about the dangers of viral challenges and unsafe online behaviors.
