A student in China has grabbed headlines after he burned an inflatable doll “girlfriend” in panic when his roommate returned early, leading to fire on the university campus. The fire broke out in the Xinxi student dormitory of the Hefei University of Technology in Anhui province, earlier this month on February 10, according to a report in South China Morning Post.
The unnamed student was using an inflatable doll in his dormitory when his roommate returned. Initially, he tried to burn it in the dormitory hallway, but the fire quickly spread, triggering the campus fire alarm. However, owing to the prompt action from university authorities, the fire was quickly culled.
“The inflatable doll was burned in the dormitory hallway. The security guard immediately contacted the fire department, and the situation has been handled,” a university staffer told the publication.
“There were no property losses or casualties, and we have already communicated with the student involved.”
In the aftermath, the university dormitory, issued a stern statement, advising students to not use naked flames to deal with silicone items.
“Please do not use open flames to handle silicone items or other flammable materials in the building. Items that are no longer needed can be disposed of in the rubbish bin,” read the statement.
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Internet reacts
The incident led to varied reactions from social media users who blamed the students for acting in a negligent manner, despite studying at a ‘technology’ university.
“It [Plastic] sticks to the ground and releases harmful gases. Does he not know this as a technology university student?” said one user, while another added: “This should be treated as an offence against public security, right?”
As per WMDolls — one of China’s biggest adult toy makers, the sales of its items have surged by over 30 per cent in 2025 owing to the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) models. The Zhongshan-based company is integrating tools like ChatGPT with its new anthropomorphic toys to provide an ‘enhanced user experience’.
