Yes, a typically dumb 'student' prank which I hope nobody tries to ape.
It isn't the liquid that's dangerous, it's the fumes that ignite. My wife worked in an industrial science lab for some time; she remembered for years the day some volatile liquid did just that: burst into flame via a distant Bunsen burner that shouldn't have been on at the same time as the liqiud was being handled...
Gas stations come to mind, and warnings to switch off cellphones.
Funny, but bad science.
Rob C