Authorities in Tennessee say a 15-year-old high school student set his teacher's hair and clothes on fire during class earlier this week. Gabriela Peñalba, a science teacher at West High School in Knoxville, reportedly had her back to the classroom when the teen snuck up behind her and ignited her hair and shirt with a lighter. Students rushed to the 23-year-old teacher's aid, helping her extinguish the blaze. Exploiting the commotion, the student tossed the lighter out of a nearby window and fled, but was soon caught by school resource officers. The unidentified suspect reportedly confessed to the crime in a police interview, but his motive remains unclear. He was subsequently charged with aggravated assault and evading arrest and transported to a juvenile detention facility. Luckily, Peñalba did not suffer serious burns — a result credited to the quick response of her students. credits: Gawker
Always treat even a tiny flame with respect and never get it near clothing and hair, even for seconds. I had the most dreadful experience this year that would scar in my memory till eternity. When caught fire, immediately roll on the floor to crush the flame out. In fact do some rolling on the floor just to train some muscle memory annually (just like a personal fire drill).
