DELRAY BEACH, Fla. (KABC) -- Seven students and an adult were rushed to the hospital after a performer caught himself on fire at a high school pep rally on Thursday.
WPTV reports the incident happened at Atlantic Community High School in Delray, Florida, during a morning pep rally supposed to pump students up before they took the Florida Standards Assessments.
The performer, Ricky Charles, was part of a company called the "Inferno Challenge" that was hired by the school.
During a stunt, Charles accidentally caught himself on fire and things took a dramatic turn as nearly 2,000 students watched in horror.
Charles suffered first degree burns to his face, with his nose receiving the most damage.
Fire officials said 19 other people were treated by paramedics, including seven students who were taken to hospital, but were all expected to be OK.
Charles was the only person to suffer from burns, the other 19 patients suffered from respiratory complaints, according to fire officials.
In a written statement, the School District of Palm Beach County said: "What happened today at Atlantic Community High School is inexcusable. It's a direct violation of District policy. The District's rules are clear that fire and pyrotechnics are forbidden inside our buildings. This incident will be investigated by the District's Risk Management department and local fire officials, with assistance from School District Police. As the investigation is still open, it's too early to determine what consequences will result from this."