fire eating - dont bother

DISCLAIMER OF ALL WARRANTIES AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE ASSUMP-TION OF THE RISK

THERE IS NO WARRANTY, REPRESENTATION OR CONDITION OF ANY KIND; AND ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IS EXCLUDED AND DISCLAIMED, INCLUD-ING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND THE FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

IT IS AGREED THAT THE AUTHOR/PUBLISHERS LIABILITY AND THE PURCHASER/USERS SOLE REMEDY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, UNDER ANY WARRANTY, IN TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), IN STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, SHALL NOT EXCEED THE RETURN OF THE AMOUNT OF THE PURCHASE PRICE PAID BY PURCHASER, AND UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL AUTHOR/PUBLISHER BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PERSONAL INJURY, PROPERTY DAMAGE, DAMAGE TO OR LOSS OF EQUIPMENT, LOST PROFITS OR REVENUE, COSTS OF RENTING REPLACEMENTS AND OTHER ADDITIONAL EXPENSES, EVEN IF AUTHOR/PUBLISHER HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAM-AGES, THE PRICE STATED FOR THE TEXTBOOK IS A CONSIDERATION IN LIMITING AUTHOR/PUBLISHERS LIABILITY AND PURCHASER/USERS REMEDY.

AUTHOR/PUBLISHER WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, LOSSES OR EXPENSES AS A RESULT OF PURCHASER/USERS NEGLIGENCE, WHETHER DEEMED ACTIVE OR PASSIVE AND WHETHER OR NOT ANY SUCH NEGLIGENCE IS THE SOLE CAUSE OF ANY SUCH DAMAGE, LOSS OR EXPENSE.

FURTHERMORE, THE PURCHASER/USER ACKNOWLEDGES: (1) THAT THE PRAC-TICE OF FIRE-EATING IS AN INHERENTLY DANGEROUS ACTIVITY AND FIRE ITSELF CONSTITUTES A DANGEROUS CONDITION; (2) THAT PURCHASER/USER ACKNOWLEDGES SUCH ACTIVITY AND CONDITION TO BE DANGEROUS; (3) THAT PURCHASER/USER APPRECIATES THE NATURE OR EXTENT OF THE DANGER OF THE PRACTICE OF FIRE-EATING; (4) THAT PURCHASER/USER SHALL BE VOLUN-

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USAGE LICENSE AGREEMENT The Professionals Guide to Fire Eating Agreement Welcome to The Professionals Guide to Fire Eating. The Professionals Guide to Fire Eating is a textbook designed to be a teaching aid for qualified individuals to teach the skill of fire-eating to students and apprentices. The practice of fire-eating is an inherently dangerous activity about which there is much confusion and erroneous information. The Professionals Guide to Fire Eating is a singular resource designed to offer opinions regarding fire-eating techniques as well as provide opinions regarding fire safety, torch making, performances, and several other topics related to the practice of fire-eating.

The following are terms and conditions for ownership and use of the book The Profes-sionals Guide to Fire Eating and the The Professionals Guide to Fire Eating Illustrative Video (if applicable), collectively referred to as The Professionals Guide to Fire Eating:

1. The Purchaser/User acknowledges that he or she has read and fully understands the DISCLAIMER OF ALL WARRANTIES AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE RISK provided hereinabove.

2. BOOK DESCRIPTION This book contains a series of testimonials, opinions, and explanations of the methods of fire-eating used by Brian Brushwood, a professional performer, who has practiced these methods since 1994. Each fire-eater has his or her own opinions regarding safety, effectiveness, and other factors associated with fire-eating, and therefore it is up to the qualified teacher who uses The Professionals Guide to Fire Eating as a teaching aid to accept full responsibility for the instruction given. THE AUTHOR (BRIAN BRUSHWOOD) AND PUBLISHER (BIZARRE MAGIC, INC.) MAKE NO CLAIM REGARDING THE ACCU-RACY OR EFFECTIVENESS OF ANY INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS BOOK.

3. USE OF INFORMATION The information contained in The Professionals Guide to Fire Eating is for informational and anecdotal purposes only. The practices of fire-eating and related effects have existed for hundreds of years, and have historically been taught one-on-one by qualified perform-ers to apprentices. The Author (Brian Brushwood) and Publisher (Bizarre Magic Inc.) believe that while fire-eating cannot ever be considered safe, the practice of personal instruction in a controlled environment (with sufficient safety precautions) is the only way ANYONE should attempt to learn fire-eating. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD ANY OF THE ACTIVITIES DESCRIBED IN THE PROFESSIONALS GUIDE TO FIRE EATING BE ATTEMPTED WITHOUT COMPETENT SUPERVISION BY A QUALIFIED INSTRUCTOR. 4. PROTECTION OF INFORMATION YOU EXPRESSLY ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES

(Continued on next page)

SHOULD THE PROFESSIONALS GUIDE TO FIRE EATING BE SOLD OR OTHER-WISE PROVIDED TO ANY CHILD UNDER 13 UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, OR ANY CHILD BETWEEN THE AGES OF 14 AND 18 WITHOUT PARENTAL CONSENT AND PROFESSIONAL SUPERVISION. 5. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THE ACCOMPANY-ING DISCLAIMER AND ASSUMPTION OF THE RISK AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY SAME. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CERTAIN DAMAGES; IN SUCH STATES THE AUTHORS (BRIAN BRUSHWOOD) AND PUBLISHERS (BIZARRE MAGIC, INC.) LIABILITY IS LIMITED TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, BUT MAY UTILIZE ANY AND ALL DEFENSES, AFFIR-MATIVE OR OTHERWISE, AVAILABLE IN SUCH JURISDICTION(S). 6. INDEMNIFICATION

You agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless the author (Brian Brushwood) and the publisher (Bizarre Magic, Inc.), its parents, subsidiaries, affiliated companies, officers, employees, licensees, shareholders and distributors from all losses, liabilities, claims, demands, damages or expenses, including reasonable attorneys fees, (i) arising from breach of this agreement by use of, or in connection with, the transmission of any Content contained in The Professionals Guide to Fire Eating, or (ii) arising from damages to a third party as a result of attempting any of the activities described or implied in The Professionals Guide to Fire Eating.

7. GENERAL PROVISIONS Unless otherwise provided by law, jurisdiction for any suit brought hereunder shall be in the Federal Courts in Travis County, Texas. You may not use, copy, modify, sublicense, rent, sell, assign or transfer the license granted pursuant to this Agreement. The paragraph headings contained in this Agreement are for the purposes of convenience only and are not intended to define or limit the contents of said paragraphs, and have no legal or contractual significance. If you do not agree with this license, please return The Professionals Guide to Fire Eating to the vendor from which you purchased it for a refund.

BREAKING THE SHRINKWRAP ON THIS BOOK OR VIDEO OR USAGE OF THE PROFESSIONALS GUIDE TO FIRE EATING E-BOOK OR VIDEO INDICATES THAT YOU HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS DOCUMENT AS WELL AS THE ACCOMPANYING DISCLAIMER AND ASSUMPTION OF THE RISK LANGUAGE, AND AGREE TO THE TERMS HEREOF.

FIREEATING

The Professionals Guide to

Brian Brushwood 2002 Bizarre Magic, Inc.

Copyright 2002 Bizarre Magic, Inc.

No part of this book may be reproduced by any photographic, mechanical, or electronic process, or in the form of audio recording, nor may it be transmitted, stored in a retrieval system, or otherwise copied for public or private use, without written permission from the authors.

All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN 0-9713646-0-5

First Printing, 2002

Acknowledgements This book never would have been written, were it not for the help of several people. My sincerest thanks go to everyone who participated in the development of this volume. Here they are (in alphabetical order):

Kevin Baum

Viki & Al Brushwood

Joel Bush

Cody Fisher

C.J. Johnson

Dale K

Johnny Neill

Nerissa Oden

Brian Poindexter

Adam Sear

Jef Sewell

Liz Sims

Joe Vitale

This book is dedicated to Bonnie Brushwood

Introduction

About the AuthorIntroductionWhy This Book?How to Read This Book

Tools of the Trade, Burns and First Aid

Fire Types and ExtinguishersUnderstanding Fuels and FireFuel ContainersIgnitionBuilding Your TorchesUnderstanding Your RisksBurn Info and First AidPractice Locations

Cigarette & Match Tricks

Match on TongueCigar on TongueFlame SuckJack-O-LanternMatch Light on Teeth

Eating Fire and Other Feats

Get Comfy with FireFire on PalmFire Snuff with HandPants on FireFire-Floor TransferFlame Pass on FingersBasic Fire EatingTorch Hold in Teeth

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3940424344

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4750525355565861

contents

6365676970717478

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8587888990929496

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99101102104

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143149157160165168

Eating Fiery EmbersFire Toss SnuffFire Toss TransferFire Spit TransferFire Tongue TransferMulti-Flame SwallowVapor Tricks & the VolcanoThe Fire Blast

Torch Spins and Flourishes

Single TurnGrip SpinPalm SpinFake SpinRoll Over 4 FingersWalk-Down & UpVernon Torch SpinThumb Spin

Tips For the Working Fire Eater

Venues & AuthoritiesLighting Your PerformancePhotography and Fire EatingRecognizing Alarms

Houdinis Miracle Mongers and Their Methods

Chapters 1-7

OSHA Material Safety Data Sheets

Colemans Camping FuelKeroseneCharcoal Lighter FluidZippo Lighter FluidAlcohol, 95%Alcohol, 70%

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3The ProfessionalsGuide to Fire Eating Introduction

about the author

Who is this guy?

Brian Brushwood began eating re and performing bizarre magic effects at the age of 18 in Austin, Texas. Magic quickly proved itself a great way to make extra money in college, and he soon crafted a show lled with mind reading, sleight-of-hand, sideshow stunts, escapes, and traditional magic effects. After years of performing at nightclubs around Austin, Brian managed to get the green light to perform a magic show for his honors senior thesis at the University of Texas at Austin. Upon graduation, Brian began per-forming his show throughout Texas at high schools, clubs, and private functions. Brian now tours the United States, performing his unique brand of bizarre magic at colleges and clubs from coast to coast. Brian has appeared on national TV shows including, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Roseanne Show, The Debra Duncan Show, and Talk Soup. In his home state of Texas, Brian was awarded Best Comedy Magic and Best Club Magic. Brian is also the author of Cheats, Cons, Swindles, and Tricks: 57 ways to scam a free drink, and co-author of Pack the House! The Ultimate, Ever-Growing Guide to Increasing Atten-dance at YOUR Campus Events. You can learn more about Brian, see clips from his show, check his touring schedule, and look into hosting his show by visiting his web site at http://www.shwood.com.


So, you wanna know how to eat re? Well, I wont lie. Its danger-ous. Could kill you. A re eater takes ames that are over 2200 degrees Fahrenheit and puts them in his mouth. He swallows chemicals that clearly state on their containers that they are harmful or fatal if swallowed, chemicals that are known to the state of California to cause cancer. Not to mention the fact that one accidental chemical spill in the right circumstances could burn down a re eaters house, disgure his face, hurt or kill his loved ones, bankrupt him, and send him on a permanent path of nancial ruin. Still interested? Good. Fire eating is fascinating. The concept of resistance to re is as old as history itself. Even the ancient Greek tragedy Medea makes reference to holding a bar of red-hot iron in order to prove innocence or sincerity. Understanding how people eat re and perform seemingly impossible acts of heat and re resistance can give you a better understanding (and respect) of re and its dangers. This book is designed to be the most complete guide to re eating written to date. It goes far beyond the simple mechanics of how to extinguish a ame with ones mouth. It covers the history of re eating, proper torch making, safety precautions, selecting performance locations, and understanding res, alarms, and extinguishers. It covers tips for the working re eater, including dealing with nervous authority gures, making re photographs look great, torch spins and ourishes, the toxicity of re eating chemicals, and more. But let me be clear: theres only one way to safely learn to eat re, and thats through personal instruction by a trained professional. This book is denitely not a substitute for this personal instruction. This doesnt mean that Ive held anything back from you, the reader. Ive done my best to make the information in this volume as factually accurate as possible. Ive written explanations of each effect as carefully as I can, to make sure that you can understand exactly what happens. Ive done factual research on the science of res and combustion. Ive interviewed re marshals, scientists, other re eaters, and reghters. The end result

IntroductionA heads-up on the material youre learning


is (hopefully) the most complete textbook on the art of re eating available to date. Before you consider actually using the information in this book, remember that there are several textbooks available that explain in exact, precise, and accurate detail how to y an airplane. However, only a complete idiot would read such a book and assume he is now qualied to y a plane. Likewise, you should not assume that simply because youve read this book, youre ready to eat re. If, after reading this book, you feel condent that you have what it takes to eat re and are truly interested in learning the craft, then seek out a professional re eater and look into personal instruction. Do not simply decide that youll learn by trial and error at home. Youre smarter than that (arent you?). Fire eating is a lot like smoking cigarettes: it is an activity that, even (or especially) when performed correctly, can harm or kill you. Do not think for one minute that re eating is ever completely safe. Through preparation, practice, and education, the activity of eating re can be made safer, but never quite safe. Theres always a chance of injury or death when performing something so dangerous. Remember, too, that there are two times in a re eaters career that are the most dangerous: when hes rst learning the craft (because hes so inexperienced), and when hes been doing it for years and years (and forgets to take proper safety precautions). In the meantime, enjoy this book. Its an interesting read, lled with humor, useful information, trivia, science, and unique insights to a dangerous and wild art.

Brian BrushwoodBizarre Magicianhttp://www.shwood.com


Why did I write such a book? Largely because when I rst decided to learn how to eat re, I scoured around, searching for a book that dared to teach me about this dangerous and exciting art. I checked out Houdinis Miracle Mongers and Their Methods. I grabbed 20 page booklets that purported to teach everything you needed to know about re eating. I searched for videotapes. In the end, I noticed two things: rst, that there were very few resources available on re eating, and second, that most of the information available was out of date and/or patently false. Even Houdini suggested in one book that the method for eating a aming sword was simply to rst swallow an asbestos sheath! Eventually, I discovered a videotape called Magic of the Sideshow by sideshow specialist Todd Robbins (available as part of the Stevens Magic Library). The video contained 60 minutes of sideshow demonstrations and stories, followed by a short 10 minutes of explanation of re eating. Fortunately, thats all it took to get me started. By carefully following Todds advice and (more importantly) learning from working professionals, I slowly, bit by bit, built a competent understanding of re eating. I burned my face, I started accidental res, I sizzled my lips, and nearly caused a few major accidents before I truly understood what I was doing. It was only after three years of careful experimentation that I truly became a graduate of the re eating school of hard knocks. With any luck, the information in this book will teach you this valuable information in much less time, and with much less danger.

Why this book?

Im glad you asked...


how to read this book

(In case youve never read a book before.)

Name of effector title of sectionSubjective rating of how

impressive this feat is*

Subjective rating of the difculty in learning this effect*

Name of chapter

Subjective estimated chance of injury per-

forming this feat*Description of effect being taught

Description of method to perform

this feat

Illustrative gure

Title of book

Numeric label of illustrative gure

Page number

*On a scale of 1 to 10

Performance Tip. These tips place an emphasis on getting the best quality of performance from a specic effect. Each performance tip usually

applies only to the effect where it is found.

Safety Tip. These tips place an emphasis on

reducing your risk of danger and burns. Each

safety tip usually applies to all re effects, making it important to read through the entire

book and note each safety tip

before beginning even the rst

effect.

Before you begin eating re, youll need all the appropriate equipment. More importantly, youll need to understand what youre getting into, and what to do if something goes wrong. This must-read chapter will tell you all about...

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11

The ProfessionalsGuide to Fire Eating Tools of the Trade, Burns and First Aid

fire types and extinguishers

Know your allies

Youre playing with re here (literally), so its imperative that you know about re extinguishers and the types of res they cover. You should never, ever eat re without a re extinguisher close at hand. The 10-20 seconds it takes to retrieve a poorly-placed extinguisher can mean the differ-ence between an easily stopped re and an uncontrollable blaze. This is very serious stuff. There are four classes of re: A, B, C, and D. Type A res are those involving ordi-nary combustible materials such as wood, cloth, and paper. Type B res are those involving am-mable liquids, including gasoline, alcohol, and grease. Type C res involve live electrical equipment (so-called electrical res). Finally, Type D res involve combustible metals including magnesium, potassium, and sodium. Each type of re uses a different type of extinguisher (gure 1). Portable re extinguishers are rated and classied by standards determined by the National Fire Protection Association. The NFPA is a non-prot organization based in Quincy, Massachu-setts. Every re extinguisher is rated by a re type and strength, represented by a letter and a number. For example, a 10-B extinguisher can put out a ammable liquid re ve times larger than a 2-B extinguisher. You can nd the clas-sication for your extinguisher near the UL label (gures 2, 3). Fire extinguishers are often appropriate for one, two, or three types of re. No one extinguisher is good for all four types.

2

3

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12


Since youre going to be using ammable liquids, your extinguisher must be a type B, hopefully with type A capability, too (since it is possible that your aming liquids can ignite some of the more conventional combustibles in the room). There are three types of type B re extinguishers. All three operate by choking oxygen out from the re and slowing the release of ammable vapors, though each uses a different type of agent. To protect yourself, you can choose carbon dioxide, dry chemical, or foam. All three are very effective on these types of re, with major differences involving level of mess and cost. CO2 re extinguishers use cold compressed carbon dioxide, which covers the ames, cools them, and chokes out oxygen. There is no residue, and the only lasting effect is a brief cool breeze. Dry chemical extinguishers blast high pressure nitrogen, mixed with sodium or potassium bicarbonate (sodium bicarbonate is baking soda). There are also multipurpose extinguishers that use an ammonium phosphate base. These tend to be more effective on all three types of res. Finally, foam extinguishers are very effective, and very, very messy. They blast a messy, lmy foam all over the re, keeping oxygen out. If youre at home practicing, its preferable to have a dry chemical extinguisher on hand. After all, if your fuel catches re, you can put it out in a jiffy, and its only you thatll complain about the baking soda mess left behind. However, if youre performing for an audience, its very important that you spend the extra money to also keep a CO2 re extinguisher on hand. In the off chance that something terrible happens during the show and an extinguisher is needed, using a dry chemical extinguisher will put

out the re, but will also effectively end the show. Dry chemicals (even baking soda) are throat and lung irritants, mild though they may be. Your audience will be lost and confused, choking and coughing inside a giant, slow dissipating cloud of (ob)noxious dry chemicals. You may have saved their lives, but your performance is over. Theyll want to get out of the theater immediately and youll feel like a heel. On the other hand, if you have a CO2 extin-guisher on hand, you could (theoretically!) pour your fuel can on the ground, light it aame and put it out with the CO2, and the audience would

experience nothing more than a refreshing wash of cool air. You could immediately move on to the next routine in your repertoire, and leave the

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audience none the wiser. Ive found moderate-sized CO2 extinguishers for about one hundred dollars. Its not much when you consider the insurance you get. Also (from the its-so-obvious-you-shouldnt-have-to-be-told depart-ment), its not enough to just have a re extinguisher. Its very important that you make sure its fully charged (gure 4).

A STORY: Early in my magic career, I worked at Island Lake Sports and Arts Center, a camp in the Pocano Mountains with a fantastic magic program. Each session the kids do a great magic show for the whole camp, and this particular session involved a youngster who would be performing a burned dollar bill routine. The kid would borrow a bill, set it on re, and make it appear from his shoe. To burn the bill, he was to set the bill into small pan lled with a little lighter uid, then drop a match in the mix and let the stuff burn up.

Unfortunately, being ignorant of both the correct amount of uid to use, and not knowing how quickly the stuff burned, we poured uid about 1 centimeter deep in the burn pan. Later, during the perfor-mance, the kid lit the uid and bill. As expected, it burned and burned and burned. Perhaps a centimeter deep was too much uid. Waiting for the eternally-burning re to die would take too long, so we sent another student out on stage to put out the re.

Use this book, we said, assuming he would understand that he should place the book over the burning pan, and snuff out the re. No such luck. The heroic but confused student thought his job was to beat out the re. Of course, he hit the pan once with the book, tipping it over and sending 8 oz. of burning lighter uid across the stage. Younger kids started to scream, older kids started to cheer, and my bosses wondered aloud just what massive subterfuge this obvious misdirection was covering.

Luckily, we did have the foresight to have a dry chemical re extin-guisher on hand. Immediately, another student put out the ames and the danger was quelled. However, the auditorium completely lled with a smoky, caustic haze that left people coughing the entire show. Although we managed to keep the show hobbling along, all momentum was lost. If we had just kept a CO2 extinguisher nearby, the audience would never have really even known that something had gone so very, very wrong.

Safety tip:

14


Hea

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Oxygen

understanding fuels & fire

Wow, this stuff is dangerous.

Understanding Flame: Before we get started using re, its important to remember your basic re education from third grade. In order to have any of the res mentioned in the previous section, you must rst have the three primary components of the re triangle, (gure 1). These elements are, of course: heat, fuel, and oxygen. When (and only when) all three elements are present in sufcient quantity, it is possible to create combustion. There are several forms combus-tion takes, but the one we know best is the ame. A ame is essentially a layer of hot gas surrounding a tapered column of cooler, unburned gas. Therefore, the ame resembles a hollow cone. Simple ames are usually relatively diffuse (that is, spread out) because sufcient air to burn all the fuel does not reach it immediately, and as a result the fuel (in vapor or gas form) travels upwards and spreads outwards, thereby combining with oxygen (hence the term oxidation), before being completely burned. Theres a difference between ames in our gas grill and the ones from our candles. Flames from gas grills or Bunsen burners are premixed with air or oxygen, while candles and torches burn from liquid or solid fuels and produce so-called diffuse ames. In a Bunsen burner, air ows up the middle of the unit, where it premixes with the gas before reaching the ame. The ame produced from the mix has 3 areas: the innermost area, lled with cold, unburned gas; the middle area, where the fuel and air react; and the outer area, where carbon monoxide and other compounds (produced by incomplete combustion) react

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with the air. These premixed ames are usually laminar (smooth owing).In a candle or other diffusion ame, the fuel doesnt premix with air and must, instead, diffuse itself into the surrounding atmosphere for oxidation. In candles, the fuel is wax. Wax is melted to liquid by the ame, drawn up the wick by capillary action, and vaporized at the tip of the wick. Surrounding air is drawn in at the base of the ame, where it combines with the vaporous wax and forms a ame. Diffusion ames often are very bright due to the presence of soot particles, which shine brightly in the heat of the ame. Different ames burn at different speeds. Scientists rate ames by the speed at which the ame front advances into the cold, unburned gas. This is called the burning velocity. Burning velocity depends on a lot of things, including pressure, fuel, oxidation, temperature, and inlet conditions. The fastest burning gas is hydrogen, with a maximum burn velocity of 270 cm/sec in regular air (as in the Hindenburg disaster); some special hydrogen-oxygen mixtures can burn up to 1200 cm/sec (as used in some rockets). The fuels you will be using for re eating burn at about 50 cm/sec, and produce ames at temperatures of approximately 2200 degrees Fahrenheit (1200 degrees Centigrade).

Understanding Fuels: When learning to eat re, its critical to understand what fuels to use. What kind of fuel you use will directly determine what effects you can perform, how comfortable the ames feel,

understanding fuels & fire

16


how quickly youll poison your liver, and the taste thats left in your mouth. Many re eaters use different fuels for different effects, and listed below are the most popular options:

Colemans Camping Fuel: This is the fuel of choice for 90% of re eating effects, used by virtually every professional re eater (gure 3). This is the fuel youll want to purchase if youre serious about learning to eat re. Colemans camping fuel is made of 100% naphtha petroleum distillate, also called white gas. Though other brands besides Colemans are ne, it is very important to be certain that youre purchasing camping fuel, not gasoline. Naphtha is usually found as an intermediate product between gasoline

and benzine, and according to the Encyclopedia Americana, naphtha is:

any of various colorless, volatile, ammable, liquid hydrocarbon mixtures obtained by the distillation of carbonaceous substance. Petroleum naphtha, coal tar naphtha, shale naphtha, and wood naphtha (methyl alcohol) are the products obtained from the fractional distillation of petroleum, coal tar, shale, and wood, respectively. Most commonly, naphthas are derived from petroleum. They are used as a solvent for rubber, a degreasing agent for skins and metals, a dry cleaning agent, and a thinner for paints and varnishes. The word naphtha originally applied to a volatile kind

of petroleum issuing from the ground in Persia (Iran).

Colemans is the fuel of choice largely because the fuel burns bright, yellow, and tall. It burns cool and fast, and has a boiling range of 30-100 degrees Centigrade (85-212 degrees Fahrenheit), meaning it mixes with the air and becomes volatile very easily, especially compared to kerosene. Best of all, in performance, its vapors can be trapped, held, and re-ignited with relative ease (as youll learn later on). Before using this or any other fuel, make sure to read the appropriate OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Material Safety Data

When dealing with any hydrocarbon fuel, remem-ber that the worst thing you can do is inhale the vapors. Doing this not only robs your brain of oxygen, but also places your lungs at extreme risk of cancer and chemical pneumonia. Luckily for re eaters, inhaling vapors should not be too big a problem, since re eating relies on exhaling, not inhaling (as youll nd out later).

Over the course of a per-formance, it is certain that small amounts of fuel will be ingested. This inges-tion can cause damage to your liver and thereby increase your chance of liver disease.

Safety tip:

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17


Sheet included in the back of the book. There are serious health risks associated with ingestion of any petroleum distillate. Any effect involving putting a burning torch in ones mouth usually uses Colemans camping fuel, though there do exist some alternatives (discussed later).

Kerosene: This is the fuel (gure 4) commonly used in the ubiquitous re blast effect. On a torch, kerosene burns with a smaller ame than camping fuel, making it less impressive, but also less intimidating. It, too, is a petroleum distillate, and therefore unhealthy to ingest (see attached MSDS at the end of this book). Some re eaters suggest that its best to start with kerosene-soaked torches when rst learning re eating, as they are less threatening. Personally, I use kerosene only for the re blast effect. The Encyclopedia Americana explains that kerosene is:

a rened petroleum product widely used as a fuel. In commercial use it is spelled kerosene, in the oil industry its spelled kerosine. Also called lamp oil or coal oil, it is colorless and has a characteristic odor and taste.

Kerosine is obtained mainly by the fractional distillation of petroleum. In this process, crude oil, which is a complex mix of hydrocarbons, is heated, and the rst liquid, or fraction, to boil off is gasoline. The next liquid to boil off is kerosine. Kerosine then is rened to remove impurities such as sulfur compounds and certain hydrocarbons, called aromatic hydrocarbons. Because the aromatics cause kerosine to smoke, kero-sine that is used for lighting and heating must have a low aromatic hydrocarbon content.

Kerosine is used widely in aviation as a fuel for jet engines. It is being increasingly used in heating stoves. For safety, kerosine for heating must have a minimum ash point (temperature at which it rst gives off a ash of ame) of 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Centigrade).

For more information on Kerosene, make sure to read the beginning of the Fire blast section in this book.

Before using any fuel men-tioned in this book, make certain to read the match-ing Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) in the back of this book. These sheets detail safety procedures for handling each material, as well as detailed information regarding chemical prop-erties and health risks associated with each sub-stance

Safety tip:

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Other fuels: In a pinch, it is possible to use other fuels, including Zippo-style lighter uid (gure 5) and charcoal lighter uid (gure 6). For torch effects, when camping fuel is not available, Zippo lighter uid will make a suitable stand-in. While the ash point of camping fuel is zero degrees Fahrenheit, Zippo lighter uid has a ash point of 39 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, torches soaked in Zippo will burn with ames a little bit lower, and a little bit darker than those from camping fuel. However, they also burn very cool and with less smoke than white gas. A suitable replacement for effects that use kerosene is charcoal lighter uid. Kerosene has a ash point of 115 degrees Fahrenheit, and charcoal lighter uid has a ash point of 101 degrees Fahrenheit. This means that charcoal lighter uid is slightly more combustible than kerosene. Of course, this means you should be more careful when using charcoal lighter uid, especially when performing the re blast. Information on both Zippo lighter uid and charcoal lighter uid is available in the (you guessed it!) MSDS section of this book. For effects like the re blast, many bartenders will use Everclear or some other high-alcohol content liquor (probably because theyre right there in front of them). I dont recommend this, as these alcohols burn much more like camping fuel than kerosene (alcohol ash points usually range from 50-80 degrees Fahrenheit). More importantly, alcohol has a numbing effect on your lips and tongue, making it more difcult to control them, and also reducing your ability to sense residual burning fuel on your face. You can check for yourself these and other details by examining the MSDS for alcohol 75% and alcohol 95% in the back of this book.

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fuel containers

Or, How Not to Burn Down Your House

Now that youve purchased fuel, its time to think about your fuel container. As sensible as it may seem, do not use an empty glass mayon-naise jar, or any other glass container. Why not? First of all, jars have wide, large mouths, releasing more vapors into the surrounding air, thereby increasing the chance that a random spark will ignite the fuel. If that does happen, the chances are even greater that the glass will shatter, making your fuel container quite literally an exploding Molotov cocktail. Obviously, this is a very bad, bad thing. Likewise, dont buy a plastic squirt bottle and ll it with fuel. Most likely, the fuel will melt the plastic and leak out. If it doesnt melt the plastic, the odds are pretty good that high pressure vapors inside will break the seal at the mouth of the container. So what should you do? Glad you asked. Simply spend the 6 bucks to get a fuel container speci-cally designed for holding camping fuel (gure 1)! This baby is solid metal and is designed to hold combustible liquid fuels. It has a screw-on cap that will keep your

fuel inside, even at relatively high pressures. You can nd them at most camping supply and sporting good stores. When practicing, make sure to seal the cap on the fuel bottle after each time you soak a torch. This will do more to eliminate the chances of an accidental ignition of your fuel than just about anything else. Also, when youre eating re, be very aware of where you put your fuel bottle in relation to your ignition source.

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You can reduce the chances of your fuel con-tainer tipping over by cov-ering the bottom of the bottle with velcro, and sticking a matching set of velcro on your table.

Safety tip:

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ignitionHow ya gonna light that torch?

So you have a torch, fuel (in a container), and an extinguisher. Before you can start doing anything, youll also need ignition. The safest way to ignite your torches is to use a barbecue lighter (gure 1) as needed.

The benet here is that the ame is only present when you want to ignite the torch, eliminating the threat of random com-bustion. The extended barrel of this unit keeps your hand safely away from the torch when the vapors ignite, and the

nger trigger makes it easy to start. When learning, the fact that you can summon ame at any moment, without running down your ignitors fuel source is a valuable tool when youre practicing over an extended period. On the other hand, once you have you act down, you may be perform-ing for only 5 minutes at a time (on stage). Once youre at this level of competence, it may be worthwhile to use a candle. Several times during your routine, you may have both hands full and need to ignite a torch. Having a set candle makes it easy, and keeps your act looking smooth. If you do use a candle, make sure to use a regular candle with a small ame (gure 2), as it acts as a good indicator of current wind drafts and other problematic conditions. If its too windy to keep your candle lit, its too windy to eat re. Period. Dont even try it any other way. When using a candle, also make sure you keep it a few feet away from your fuel container, to prevent a surprise explosion. Also, just as you did with your fuel container, make sure your candle is fastened down, so it wont fall over and ignite the bottle.

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Building your torches

Arts, crafts, and giant balls of ame

In order to eat re, the most important tool youll need is a torch. Theres about a million different ways to make them, including buying them pre-constructed from juggling shops. Well explain a few ways to construct them here. Keep in mind that no one torch is inherently better than another. Depending on the style of performance youll do, the conditions under which youll operate, and the budget youll have available, youll nd the appropriate type of torch for you.

Simple Coathanger Torch: The rst torch well learn about is a simple one. Its the rst torch I ever learned to make, and it suited my needs ne while learning to eat re. Its a simple temporary torch made out of a coathanger and cotton. For this torch, you will need a pair of coathangers, some needlenose pliers (with wire cutters) a roll of cotton (or cotton balls), and 100% cotton

thread (gure 1). Start by clipping off the hanger part, leaving only the straightish wire (gure 2). Using your pliers, twist the tip of the hanger in a crook, leaving the base slightly splayed out (gure 3) to provide more texture and to keep the wick from being able to slide off onto your face (ouch). Once you have the tip bent into shape, decide how long youll want your torch to be. You want it

long enough to keep the ame from licking your hands as you eat the re, but not so long you have a hard time maneuvering the torch directly into your mouth. I nd that about 8 to 10 inches is right for me. Now, using your pliers, twist the coathanger to form a handle.

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Do this by rst creating 2-3 loops about the size of your hand grip (gure 4), then twist the wire around the other side (gure 5). At this point, youre ready to start working on the wick. There are as many different ways to make the wick of your torch as there are re eaters. For our most basic torch, well use the following: use a roll of cotton from a craft store (or use cotton balls), and insert it through the crook of your torch (gure 6). Begin to wind the cotton around until youve reached your desired thickness (about a centimeter and a half is good). Trim off the cotton and use 100% cotton thread to wind around the torch (gure 7). Since this cotton thread is holding the torch together, I make sure to tie several knots in it as I wind. I do this because if the torch is ignited for over a minute, the thread will begin to burn and break. If the thread is secured only at the ends, then once the thread burns through, it will all come unraveled. If the thread becomes unraveled, theres very little holding your cotton together, leaving you with an unruly mess of cotton soaked with ammable liquid, hovering right above your head. This is bad. So, after every 3 wraps or so, tie a small double knot in the thread. These are safety links of a sort, to keep your torch in one piece. You now have your rst functional torch (gure 8). Congratulations!

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If youre just interested in getting on to your rst re eating experience, you can move on to the next section (after youve read each safety tip, of course). Once you master the fundamentals of re eating, however, you will want a better torch. Thats when you should come back and read the rest of this chapter. There are several options and nuances youll want to pay attention to when doing this. Over the next few pages, well show you a few different ways to build your torch. Remember that no one torch-making method is necessarily better than the other, and you should do what appeals to you. Thus, these torches appear in no particular order.

BBQ Skewer Torch: For these torches, youll need two barbecue skewers, spatulas, or forks, a 100% cotton t-shirt, big pliers, hammers, or other metalwork-ing tools, and 100% cotton thread (gure 9). For these torches, I started off with bar-becue grill spatulas. The wiry tines were easy to break apart, so only a handle with a long metal pole remained. I then used the pliers to place a bend at the tip of the metal pole. Since the pole is thicker than the coathanger wire, I made a loop out of it, rather than a crook shape (gure 10). Do this for each

9

Remember that your wick acts as a sponge. Therefore, how much fuel gets soaked into your torch will have a lot to do with how tightly your wick is wrapped. Just as a tightly squeezed sponge cant soak up water, a tightly wrapped torch wont soak up much fuel. In the beginning, this can be a very good thing. After all, the last thing you want is dripping ames in your face as you try to master the fundamentals. Later on, youll need more fuel in order to get proper vapors for more advanced techniques. In the beginning, however, its probably best for you to wrap your torch fairly tight.

Another thing to remember is that when you actually begin eating re, it will be the fuel that burns, not the torch. Amazingly, as your fuel burns, it will evaporate and actually provide a type of cooling effect on the cotton wick. It is only after the fuel burns down that the heat of the ames on the torch will begin to ignite the cotton of your wick. Youll know this is happening when you spot red glows on your wick. If you get this, you will need to extinguish the ames, extinguish the red coals, and re-soak your torches immediately.

Safety tip:

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torch. Great! Youve now got the basics of your torch ready. For your wick, make sure your t-shirt is 100% cotton. Remember that you must use cotton because cotton will burn, while polyester and man-made bers will melt. When you tilt your head back and get ready to swallow ame, the last thing you need is a big goopy mess of boiling hot synthetics falling onto your delicate and

valuable face. If your t-shirt is 100% cotton, youre in business. Cut off a strip of the shirt (gure 11). Your strip should be about 1.5 feet in length, and about 1 inch wide. Begin threading the t-shirt wick through the loop you made (gure 12), and then wind it around the outside (gure 13). Make sure to distribute the wick as evenly as you can. Again, your goal is to end up with a cylinder about about an 1.5 inches long and about .75 inches thick. When you get near the thickness you want, use scissors to trim the strip so it slowly tapers down to

a length of thick thread. (gure 14) Complete this wrapping by threading the t-shirt around the bottom and actually using the end of it to tie off the bottom of the wick (gure 15).

After making sure that your t-shirt knots are secure, use the cotton thread to tie off the bottom (gure 16). Just as with the

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coat hanger torches, remember to tie several safety knots as you go along. Your torches are now complete (gure 17)!

Threaded Metal Rods: At the hard-ware store, instead of buying a barbecue skewer, nd yourself a length of threaded metal rod (gure 18). These make excellent torch-making supplies, as the threads have the perfect texture to keep your wick from falling off, so you wont need to fashion any kind of loop or hook on your torch. Use a hacksaw to cut the rod to your desired torch length, and create handles for your torches by wrapping leather strips around the base of the rod (gure 19). Use super-glue to bind the leather to the rod.

You can use just about any type of wick with threaded rods. For t-shirts and cotton, simply follow the expla-nations offered for the previously explained two torches. The only difference is that you wont need to thread the wick materials through anything. You can also use cotton ller cord, available at arts and crafts stores (gure 20). As always, make sure its made of 100% cotton. Simply wrap this cording around the rod (gure 21), making sure to cover the tip (remember how hot the rod gets!). When you get the desired thickness of wick, tie off the cording just as you did with the t-shirt (gure 22). Again, just as with the t-shirt, make sure to use cotton thread to tie off the base of the wick (gure 23). Its very important to remember to check your torches for damage more often when using this type of wick. After all, if one part of the

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In many old re eating texts, its suggested that you use wire to bind your torches. Also, many jug-gling torches come with the wicks screwed to the rod with big metal screws.

Under NO circumstances use metal of any kind to bind your wicks. Metal doesnt burn, but it does get very, very hot and will burn your tongue and lips if you use it.

Safety tip:

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cording burns all the way through, the entire wick can come untied! Another unconventional material for torch wicks is 100% cotton karate belts! The process for making wicks with belts is identical to that of using professional torch wick (available at many juggling supply shops), which well illustrate here. Start by winding the wick around the rod, making sure to keep it as tight as possible (gure 24). Just as with the cording, make sure to cover the tip of the rod. Keep wrapping until you reach your desired thickness, then

cut of the remaining wick (gure 25). Finally, use needle and thread to sew the wick together (gure 26). Of course, you should use thread of the same color to avoid the tacky results of this example. Sewing the wick together is probably the very best way to bind it. Since very little of the thread is exposed to the ame, the odds of it burning through and breaking are greatly reduced.

Many otherwise talented re eaters tend to take a rather lax attitude about making their torches, g-uring why bother to make them nice when Im just going to set them on re? At rst blush, this makes sense. How-ever, Ive found that the more carefully I construct

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a torch, the longer it lasts. Ive had cotton torches last eight months to a year before I needed to rework the wick. I recommend taking the time to make sure your torches are as carefully crafted as possible. If youre worried about your torch burning (weird thing to worry about, huh?), and are look-ing for some ameproof material that wont fry your face, you still have options. If you like to make your own torches, you can buy wick made of a combination of space-age materials

(like Kevlar) from jug-gling supply shops and use it to make your torch. These wicks are available both in strips and yarnlike threads. Now that you understand the skills of torchmaking, you can mix and match these parts to make your ideal torch. If you simply dont want to make your own torches, there are several manufacturers who will make them for you, usually to the tune of fty dollars each. Contact your local magic or juggling

shop, or do a quick search on the internet to locate a vendor.

Take care when making your torches. I made my current pair 7 years ago, and still havent found time to remake them! Since youll probably be using them a long time, try to do the job right the first time.

Performance tip

Whenever using threaded metal rods for your torch, test that your wick is secure by inging your torch up and down as you would to reset a mercury thermometer.

If your wick is not properly bound, it will go sailing off the torch. Better that it happen in your test than while eating re!

Safety tip:

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understanding your risks

Fire eating is very dangerous. It can certainly kill you, but not necessarily the way you think. Yes, you risk burning your lips while eating re, and you can probably expect to get a few minor singes to your hair, ngers, and mouth when performing re eating. However, compared to the real health risks involved in re effects, these problems are insignicant. In fact, there are several ways to seriously hurt yourself both long term and short term when eating re. Here are just a few:

Poisoning: The one for sure in re eating is that if you eat re, youll get the fuel in your mouth. When you get the fuel in your mouth, youll be swallowing stuff that is clearly labeled harmful or fatal if swallowed. Depending on the type of fuel used, exposure or ingestion of any amount of the fuel can cause cancer, liver damage, kidney damage, blood poisoning, neurological problems, nervous depression, and respiratory dysfunction. For complete details on health risks associated with exposure to any fuel, consult the appropriate OSHA Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and a doctor. Youre poisoning yourself. If youre uncomfortable with this fact, do not eat re.

Accidental fuel ignition or spill: In the event of an acciden-tal fuel spill and ignition, unless someone immediately puts you out, complete uncontrollable re will consume you. Thats a nasty way to die. At all times, be very, very aware of where any fuels and containers are, as well as any potential sparks or ignitors. This awareness could save your life.

Damage to teeth: Depending on the type of re effect your performing, heat from the ames can cause your teeth to expand and contract, contributing to broken teeth, lost llings, cracked sealants, and other problems. In fact, at one conference, magician Bob Sheets told me that every re eater he knows has had to get major work done on their teeth later in life. Of course, everyone I know over the age of 50 has had that done too, regardless of whether or not they ate re. At any rate, be aware and

The 5 best ways to hurt yourself

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careful of this problem.

Inhaling with a torch in your mouth: Hydrocarbon fuels burn at 1200 degrees Centigrade (2400 degrees Fahrenheit). At that level of heat, accidentally inhaling the ames of a torch will immediately and severely burn your lungs, vocal cords, and esophagus. There is a chance that the damage will close off your windpipe and choke you to death. Even if you live, this damage can ruin your vocal cords and leave your lungs scarred.

Inhalation of fumes from fuel: Inhalation of fumes from hydrocarbon fuels poses the greatest collective risk to your health. Inhalation of hydrocarbon fumes is the cause of chemical pneumonia, brain damage, and asphyxiation. The problems posed by inhalation are so great, and the solution so simple, theres no excuse to leave yourself at risk: simply avoid breathing any fumes from your fuel both when practicing and performing re effects.

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Burn info and first aid

A must-read section before beginning

About 2 million people suffer serious burns in the United States alone. Of those, 115,000 are hospitalized and 12,000 die (source: MSN encarta). A burn can be caused by radiant heat, caustic chemicals, or direct contact with hot solids, hot liquids, ames, electricity, or nuclear radiation. Skin can burn when exposed to heat as low as 120 degrees Fahrenheit after about 5 minutes. Let me be clear about this: if you eat re, you will eventually get burned. By following the safety precautions and instructions in this book, and by most importantly using your own common sense and knowing your own personal limits, you can minimize the risk of severe damage. However, it is a fact that sooner or later, you will get some form of (hopefully) minor burn on your hand, lips, or tongue. In the interests of being fully prepared, however, its important that you know exactly what to do in the event of either a minor or major burn. Found on WebMD, here is some general treatment and rst aid advice for burns: As you probably have heard, there are multiple classes of burns, including rst-, second-, and third-degree. Determining the class of the burn will dictate the appropriate treatment.

First-degree burns: These are the least serious burns, in which only the outer layer of skin (epidermis) is burned, as in a sunburn. These burns will remove hair from the affected area, but not damage the hair follicles. On these burns the skin is red, possibly swollen, and painful. Fortunately, the outer layer of skin has not been burned through. Treat rst-degree burns as minor burns, unless they cover large or sensitive areas of the face, hands, feet, groin, or major joints.

Second-degree burns: Second-degree burns are those in which the rst layer of skin (the epidermis) has been burned through, and the second layer (the dermis) has also become burned, as in a burn form scalding water. These burns remove all hair in the area and damage all but the deepest hair follicles. In these burns, the affected skin becomes intensely

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reddened and splotchy, and blisters develop. These burns are marked with severe swelling and pain. If the burn is smaller than 2-3 inches in diameter, treat it as a minor burn. If its larger, or if its on a sensitive part of the body (hands, face, groin, feet, buttocks, or major joints), get medical help immediately.

Third-degree burns: These are the most serious burns. They are painless (due to the complete destruction of nerve endings in the affected area), and affect all layers of the skin. It is possible that underlying fat, muscle, and bone could be affected as well. These burns may appear blackened and charred, or dry and white. Respiratory problems, carbon monoxide poisoning, and other accompanying problems may occur due to smoke inhalation during the burn.

After determining the type and intensity of the burn, excercise one of the following two treatments. Its important to recognize what kind of burn has been made, as an appropriate treatment for one burn will cause severe damage to another.

Treatment for minor burns

Remember that minor burns include 1st degree burns and 2nd degree burns smaller than 2-3 inches. When treating minor burns, follow these steps:

Cool the burn by running the affected area under cold tap water for 15 minutes. If you cant t the affected body part under the faucet, immerse it in cold water or cover it with a cold compress. A clean, cold, wet towel will help to reduce pain. Do not use ice, as it can cause frostbite, and do not break any blisters that may have formed. After the burn has been completely cooled, you can use a moisturizing aloe vera lotion to reduce drying and increase comfort. Cover the burn with a bandage. Use a sterile gauze bandage to gently cover the affected area, being careful not to put pressure on the burn. Do not use uffy cotton, as this may irritate the skin. This gauze bandage will keep air off the burn, increasing your comfort. Take an OTC (over-the-counter) pain medication, includ-

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ing ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin, or acetaminophen. These will not only reduce the pain, but can also reduce swelling and inammation.

After following these steps, minor burns will usually heal in 1 or 2 weeks without additional treatment. When they do heal, there may be a pigment change in the affected area (in other words, the healed area may be a different color than the surrounding skin). If this pigmentation difference occurs, avoid tanning the area, to reduce accentuating the difference. While healing, observe the burn closely for signs of infection, including increased pain, redness, fever, swelling, or oozing. If an infection develops, get medical help immediately, as an infection will cause further damage and poor healing.

Treatment for major burns

Whenever dealing with a major burn (a 2nd degree burn larger than 3 inches in diameter or 3rd degree burn) dial 911 or call EMS (Emergency Medical Service) immediately. Until help arrives, do the following:

If the victim is on re, put him or her out immediately, using a re extinguisher (which you should have on hand), dousing him with water, or smothering the ames with a large non-synthetic material rug or blanket. (Remember that synthetics will melt in the heat, further hurting the victim.) Dont remove burnt clothing. Removing burnt clothing can accidentally tear off skin that might otherwise be saved. Do be sure the victim is no longer in contact with hot or smoldering materials, or still exposed to smoke or heat. Make sure the burn victim is breathing. If not, clear the victims airways and begin CPR. Cover the area of the burn with a cool, damp, and sterile bandage or clean cloth. Do not apply any ointments, and avoid breaking any blisters. If ngers or toes have been burned, separate them with dry, sterile, non-adhesive dressings. Elevate the affected area, and keep it free from pressure or friction. Protect the victim from shock by laying him at, elevat-ing his feet about 12 inches and covering him with a coat or

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blanket. Do not do this if it makes the victim uncomfortable or if there is a suspected head, neck, back, or leg injury. Continue to check on the victims vital signs (such as breathing, pulse, and blood pressure) until help arrives.

When dealing with major burns:

DO NOT allow the victims airway to close, especially if there is an airway burn. This means you should not rest the victims head on a pillow. DO NOT touch or break blistered and dead skin. DO NOT give the victim any substance by mouth in the event of a major burn. DO NOT submerge the burn in cold water, or use a cold compress on a major burn. DO NOT contaminate the burn (and thereby increase the risk of infection) by coughing or breathing on the burn. Burned skin permits infection, which is the most common cause of death for extensively burned persons. DO NOT apply any household remedies to a major burn, including butter, ointments, ice, adhesive bandages, cream oils, or uffy cotton dressings.

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practice locations

Hint: not your family dining room

Before you start learning or practicing re feats, think about your location. The ideal setting for re eating is in a large, high-ceilinged area, well ventilated and without any noticeable breeze. If youre practicing indoors (i.e. your house or garage), be absolutely certain your area has a 10-ft. radius free of anything that can catch re. Better yet, keep your act out in the garage. If you have access to a large theater, warehouse, or gymnasium setting: great. If you must perform outdoors, make sure you are in an area with at least two perpendicular windbreaks (large walls that can block incoming drafts) and some kind of overhang. In most breezes, these windbreaks will keep you relatively free of unpredictable wind changes.

A STORY: Be very, very concerned about your location when re eating. In 1996, I was working a street festival in Austin, Texas. I had picked a pretty good outdoor location to do my re eating, and was working the street when a local news crew approached me and asked if I would perform in a TV news spot. Sure, I said. We relocated near a large bank, and the wind seemed suitably calm. I performed a couple of test maneuvers, and everything seemed to check out.

In fact, all through the live spot, everything seemed just ne. Afterwards, the news crew asked if I could perform a few moves to be used in their evening broadcast later that night. No problem, I said. However, I was in the middle of holding a burning torch in my teeth, with my arms spread wide in a gesture of applause, when a giant gust of wind seemingly came from nowhere. Because I was covered on each side (both my right and left) by walls, the air was forced straight down, blowing the torchs heat and ame right into my face. Because my arms were so far off to each side, I couldnt bring them up to my face quickly enough, so I turned to face straight down and spat out the burning torch like a mouthful of milk gone bad. Of course, in the midst of all this craziness, my lips were pretty badly burned, and it took two weeks for my lip blisters to scab over and heal. It was a very painful lesson in wind attentiveness.

Safety tip:

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Be sure to check your ame for distortion or waves due to breezes you cant feel on your skin (see the get comfy with re section). A good rule of thumb is to light a candle and watch it for 5 minutes. If the ame goes out, its too windy for you to eat re. Dont practice over carpet. During your practice, youre sure to ick fuel down on to the ground, and it will stain and/or melt your carpet (depending on whether or not the fuel is aming). Again, the ideal setting is a large open garage with concrete oors, no wind, no smoke detectors, and no nearby ammables. When youre getting ready to practice, have a few items around: a bucket of water (to douse aming objects), a re extinguisher (along with a buddy to use it), a bowl of ice (to cool down overheated torches and body parts), and a blanket or large towel to wrap burning persons or body parts.

If, in the course of practicing, you set off a home-use smoke alarm, simply walk directly underneath it, take in a deep breath, and blow directly into the unit. The clear air from your lungs will blow the smoke right out of the detec-tor, temporarily hushing it up!

Performance tip

If you have the tools and understand what youre get-ting into, its time to start getting comfortable with re tricks. In this section, youll have the chance to learn effects that you can do today, without waiting.

These are some cool match tricks you can do to impress your friends when youre in an impromptu situation. Unless otherwise stated, each effect in this chapter works best with a small book of cardboard matches (gure 1), not wooden kitchen matches. Once you get a reputation for eating re, youll be surprised to see when and where people ask you to perform!

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The ProfessionalsGuide to Fire Eating Match and Cigarette Tricks

match on tongue

impressiveness: 4 difculty: 3 danger: 3

How it looks: You put out a burning match on your tongue, complete with dramatic sizzle.

How its done: Light a match and stick out your tongue. I dont mean make fun of the

match; I mean stick it out and down, like youre at the doctors ofce (gure 1). If at all possible, make sure to leave your saliva all gooey and caked around your tongue. With your head tilted slightly back (to avoid the heat of the match), wipe the burning match across the moistened esh of at least one inch of your tongue (gures 2 and 3). As the match moves down the length of your tongue, theres not enough time for the heat of the match to burn any one part, and all the while your saliva will extinguish the ame. Do not simply set the match onto your tongue. If you do, youll earn yourself a painful reminder of what not to do!

The key to this effect is per-forming all the moves in one fluid, careful motion. While your motions may be brisk and metered at first (for fear of getting burned), as you become more comfort-able with the effect, youll be able to perform it incredibly smoothly and slowly!

Performance tip

After lighting the match, dont take too long work-ing up the courage to perform this effect. As the match burns, its phys-ical integrity is weaken-ing. The more burned the match is, the greater the likelihood that it will fall apart on your tongue, allowing individual pieces to heat and burn your esh!

Safety tip:

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cigar on tongue

How it looks: After taking a few puffs on a lit cigar or cigarette, you extinguish the glowing embers on your tongue, leaving your palette charred and blackened.

How its done: Before you begin, tap out any hanging ash on the cigar or cigarette (gure 1). Even when not burning, this extra ash stays very hot and

can burn your tongue. Now, just as in the match-on-tongue effect, stick out your tongue, wide and at (gure 2). Theres no need to tilt your head back, as there is no ame (and rising heat) to worry

about. Now begin gently tapping the cigar all over your tongue, trying to spread the ash (and heat) as far over your tongue as possible (gure 3). The best rule of thumb here is to make sure you dont tap the

Do not stick the cigar on your tongue and grind it out, as you would in an ashtray. Doing so will severely burn your tongue.

Safety tip:


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Due in part to the amazing amount of blood pumped through them, your lips and tongue heal faster than just about any external part of your body. This is useful knowledge, which youll probably soon be able to experience rsthand!

Safety tip:

Although you will not grind out the cigar on your tongue, people will probably remem-ber seeing that way. Its this malleability of memory that makes magic tricks seem so good years after people have seen them.

Performance tip

same spot twice. By the time you nish, youll have a black tongue (covered with cigar ash, not charred esh) and the tip of the cigar will be cold and damp (gure 4).

This feat is based on the same principle as put-ting out a match on your tongue (spreading the heat around your tongue to keep any one part from burning) with the added bonus that you get a mouthful of nasty-tasting ash. As for the taste: accept it. Youre suffering a minor taste discomfort for your craft. Be proud; youre a true artist now.

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flame suck


How it looks: As you ignite a butane disposable lighter in front of your mouth, the ame bends and enters your mouth.

How its done: Let me be blunt: you shouldnt do this one. This effect appears in this book because at some point youll see some drunken fool doing this (or that assassin movie with Chow Yun Fat), and youll want to know how he did it. Allow this page to satisfy your

intellectual curiosity, but dont feel that you need to learn this one. The damage to your lungs is not worth the performance of this relatively lame effect. To perform this effect, set your lighter to about a 2-inch ame and hold it about an inch in front of your lips (gure 1). Stop the ame, purse your lips in an O shape, and suck inwards (gure 2). Just as you start to inhale (do so quickly), ignite the ame. You will feel great heat enter-ing your lungs, and with good reason. Youre inhaling re, and butane burns H-O-T. However, believe it or not, your biggest short-term concern here is for your lips and tongue. Its a tight O youre making, and your lips can get singed very easily. The best way to

protect your lips (as well reiterate later) is to keep them well moistened with saliva. When learning this one, its best to practice in front of a mirror, so you can tell exactly where the ame is going.

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Inhaling hydrocarbons (in this case, butane) is just about the worst possible thing you can do for your health (see the included Material Safety Data Sheets for details).

In the opinion of the author, this effect is far too lame for you to bother learning. Stick to the match stuff. It looks cooler, and it wont kill you.

I personally know no pro-fessional re eaters that perform this feat.

Safety tip:

43


Jack-o- lantern


How it looks: After lighting a match, you place it inside your mouth, where it is left to burn, illuminating your mouth from the inside! This effect can last up to 10-15 seconds.

How its done: Strike a match and hold it by the very bottom with your ngertips (gure 1). Empty your lungs of air and open your mouth wide (gure 2). In one, direct motion, place the match

into your mouth and close your teeth around the base of the match, right above your ngertips (gure 3). Make sure to retreat your tongue back and low in your mouth, to protect it. In a long, continuous, controlled, careful manner, draw in a slow breath (gure 4). You will actually feel the heat and smoke traveling into your lungs. And yes, your face will look kind of dorky in that shape, too. Youre performing a bit of an illusion here, because while your audience will think they see the match simply sitting in your mouth, the ame (and heat) is actually being sucked back into your lungs. Yes, thats right. You must be very, very careful doing this (the surgeon general has determined that quitting smok-ing now greatly reduces risks to your health!). As long as you can draw in that breath, you wont burn the top of your mouth. However, when you feel yourself running out of lung capacity, be prepared to remove that match! Otherwise youll feel a serious sizzle on the roof of your mouth.

This effect is best performed in a dark room, because the light from the match will actually shine through your teeth!

Performance tip

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match light on teeth


How it looks: If youve ever used strike-anywhere kitchen matches, you know that they easily start on any rough surface. In this simple ourish, you can actually use your teeth to ignite the match!

How its done: This entire effect is based on how dry you can temporarily keep your teeth and match head. For this effect, you will need a strike-anywhere kitchen match (gure 1). Start by

using a napkin or your shirt to thoroughly dry off your incisors (gure 2). Once they are totally dry, do not close your mouth (and thereby undo your work!). Instead, bring the match up to your mouth, and place the very tip of the match head (the part with the white ignitor) at the very bottom of your incisors, in the groove between your two front teeth (gure 3). Make sure your thumb covers the entire match head, and begin to exert pressure against your teeth with the match, then >snap!< the matchstick outward. When done right, it will immediately ignite (gure 4) When learning, if the matchstick doesnt light, toss it for

a new one. Its very rare that a match will light on the second try, since its either had part of its ignitor broken off, or has been made slightly wet by your mouth.

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Youve gotten a small taste for re, and its now time to learn the real deal. As you progress through this chapter, remember to read all the way through all the safety tips in advance, as many of them apply to all re effects.

Grab your instructor, be safe, and begin learning...

Hea

t Fuel

Oxygen


47

The ProfessionalsGuide to Fire Eating

get comfy with fire


Before you start eating re, you need to get comfortable with it. Start by soaking your torch in the fuel for 2-3 seconds (gure 1). Remove the torch from the fuel bottle (remember to put the cap back on), and give the torch two good shakes to remove excess fuel. This is a very important step, as otherwise dripping aming fuel will land on your face, lips, eyes, and skin. Now, light the torch and watch the ame. If youre in the right place for re eating (well ventilated, high ceilinged, and without breezes of any kind), the ame should go straight up (gure 2). Take a moment to notice whether your ame veers to the side. Notice if its consistent or not. These are conditions youll have to adjust to when performing. If your torch dances side to side (gure 3), isolate the source of the breeze and eliminate it before attempting any re related feat. Theres too much danger already involved in eating re to add the challenge of unpredictable wind patterns.

Now, while holding the torch in your right hand horizontally, hold your left hand palm up and com-pletely at well beneath the

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The ProfessionalsGuide to Fire Eating Eating Fire and Other Feats

48

burning wick. Now, slowly bring your left hand all the way up under the burning torch until only one half to one inch separates your hand from the base of the ame (gure 4). Notice that you feel virtually no heat, even when youre under an inch from the ame. Why is that? The answer is simple: heat rises. Believe it or not, this is the fundamental principle of re eating. Burn it into your mind (pardon the pun): HEAT RISESHEAT RISES its that simple. You can experiment further here by running the torch back and forth

over your outstretched arm (gure 5). At this point you shouldnt necessarily be touching your arm, but rather getting a feel for how close you can get to the torch without feeling undue heat.

Before you start touching the re: When you start the experiments on the following pages, take these precautions to ensure that you dont get burned (at least not too badly). First, grab a bowl of ice. Youll use the ice throughout the process of learning to eat re. The reason is simple: 90 percent of the times Ive been burned have been not from the heat of the ame, but rather from the heat of the metal rod in the torch. Over the course of just 15 seconds, the metal in your torch can be come so hot as to sizzle your skin or lips the moment it comes into contact with it. Keeping the ice on hand allows you to learn without fear of this problem. Before every one of the effects youre about learn, ice down the rod of your torch (gure 6). Make sure the rod is cool to the touch

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5When you burn your arm hairs, it smells bad. Theyll grow back, but you can mini-mize the burnage by twisting your arm palm up and run-ning it up and down the length of the forearm.

Performance tip


49


before beginning any effect, especially when learning or practicing. This sounds like a blindingly simple thing to do, but believe me when I tell you that doing the above will save you 90 percent of the burns you would oth-erwise get while learning. Do not underestimate the importance of this step. Plus, even if you dis-regard this as a safety mea-sure, its just cool to see hot metal melt through ice. Beyond cooling down your torchs rod, this ice will allow you to cool off your lips and tongue in-between effects. Especially when performing some of the more advanced

effects, repeated heat in your mouth can have a cumulative effect, making your lips more sensitive to heat and easier to burn. Make sure to suck on an ice cube when youre taking a break.

6

Dont ever attempt any re stunt while drinking.

Dont ever eat re while drunk.

This should be obvious.

Safety tip:


50

How it looks: You set the burning wick of a torch on your open palm, and when the torch is removed, ame continues to burn on your hand for several seconds!

How its done: Hold out your left hand, palm up, wide open and at (gure 1). Now, bring the torch down on the center of your palm, press down for 12 of one second (gure 2), and pull the torch away (gure 3). This motion should happen in a completely smooth and controlled

manner. If you do it right, you should feel no heat during contact with the torch, and the fuel pressed onto your palm should actually burn on your hand for a couple of seconds before

burning off (this, you will feel). When rst learning this one, you should burn down your torch (see safety tip), leaving very little fuel on it. As a result, the burning fuel left on your hand will be minimal. As your condence and experience grows, youll

nd youre able to use more fuel, achieving a more impres-

Fire on Palm

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When pressing the wick to your palm, be careful not to allow too much fuel onto your hand. Too much fuel can become dif-cult to extinguish, possi-bly severely burning your hand. Always make sure to shake excess fuel out of your torch before perform-ing this effect, and pay careful attention to how much fuel you squeeze onto your palm.

Safety tip:



51


sive effect. If the re in your palm begins to burn your hand before evaporating (which should happen after about two seconds), you can extinguish the ame by closing your hand into a st and cutting off oxygen to the re (gure 4). Both the heat and ame should immedi-ately disappear. If youre nervous about doing this feat the rst time, ice down the palm of your hand rst. Not only will this cool your hand down (and thereby increase the amount of heat required to burn you), but it will also deaden your nerves, in case you do hold it there too long. If you do this, be even more aware of how long you allow the re to burn. When learning this effect, keep a bowl of water nearby. In the event theres too much fuel on your palm, you can stick your hand in the water.

Dont forget to practice the motions several times with an unlit torch before attempting any of these effects with re.

Safety tip:

Each time you start a new effect, allow the torch to burn down a little before your rst attempt. When you rst light a fresh-dipped torch, theres an awful lot of uid in there-thats why the ame is so high.

To make these ames less intimidating, light your torch and let it burn for about 10 sec-onds, then put the ame out. Now, allow the rod of the torch to cool (or ice it down), and re-light it. Notice that now the ame is only 12 as tall, and 1/80th as intimidating (see gure below). This diminished ame size will help keep you more condent during your learning phase for each effect.

Safety tip:

ame on fresh-soaked torch

ame on burned-down torch


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How it looks: As a torch burns, you wrap your ngers around the ames, snufng them out without pain.

How its done: Just as in the re on palm effect, hold out your left hand, palm up, ngers outstretched (gure 1). Again, just as in the previous effect, place the burning wick of the torch onto your palm. However, unlike the last effect, you will now steadily wrap your ngers around the wick (starting with your pinky and moving upwards),

snufng out the oxygen to the ame (gures 2, 3, 4). When your hand completely covers the head of the torch, both the ame and heat should immediately disappear (gure 5). Make sure you shake out all excess fuel before performing this effect, to prevent yourself from squeezing burning fuel out onto your skin! Remember also that its the fuel that burns on your torches, not the torch itself. Although the metal rod of your torch will eventually heat up, the

wick itself will be cool to your touch.

Fire Snuff With Hand

When performing this effect, remember that any still-burning ame will re-ignite the torch when you remove your hand. Therefore, its important to make sure the ame is all the way out before removing your hand from the wick.

Safety tip:


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How it looks: You wipe a burning torch onto your pants, setting them ablaze in a line of re up to one foot long! Amazingly, you make all the ames disappear with a wipe of your hand.

How its done: For this effect, you must be wearing denim jeans. Begin by freshly dipping a torch in fuel, making sure to shake out all excess fuel, and light the torch. The effect of this feat is quite similar to the re on palm feat. However, in this case, simply press the wick of the torch against your lifted right pants leg (gure 1), right on on your upper thigh, and wipe the torch for 6-12 inches down the denim of your thigh in a consistent, smooth motion (gure 2). As you wipe the re on your leg, a trail of burning fuel will be left behind. You may immediately feel the denim of your jeans warming against your thigh. To extinguish the fuel, place your left

pants on fire

Never perform any re effect without a buddy nearby, equipped with a re extinguisher in hand, fully prepared to put out any accidental res. In the event of a mishap, every second is of critical importance, and the few seconds saved by your buddy could mean the difference between a minor scare and permanent disguring scars! This is doubly true when learning re eating.

Just as no professional SCUBA diver would dive without a buddy, you shouldnt eat re without one. Not only will your buddy be an invaluable safety precaution (able to put you out in seconds after spilling fuel on yourself), but your buddy will help you get a new perspective on what youre doing and how it looks, allowing both of you to learn quicker.

Safety tip:


When learning and perform-ing this feat, use denim jeans that you dont care about. Over the course of just a few performances, they will get sooty and stained. (but the firell look so cool).

Performance tip


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hand at against your leg above the top of the ame-trail. Now wipe your at, outstretched hand in an controlled motion over the ame. (gure 3). As your hand passes over the ames, it will extinguish them, and you wont even feel the heat (gure 4)! It sounds amazing, but thats exactly how it works. Just condently follow the motions and youll have it under control.

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Fire-floor transfer


How it looks: You use the oor to create a 4-foot long arc of re, which ignites an unlit torch.

How its done: Hold two torches, one in each hand. One torch should be lit, the other unlit (gure 1). Kneel down and wipe the unlit torch across the concrete oor, leaving a trail of fuel behind (gure 2). When you nish the arc, keep the unlit torch on the oor, touching the arc. Then set the burning torch on the tip of the arc you just created (gure 3). The arc should blaze up with re as all the fuel combusts, carrying ames and igniting the unlit torch (gure 4). This is an absolutely beauti-ful effect, and so very, very easy to do. Enjoy!*

This effect can damage wooden oors, and will destroy carpet. Make sure youre practicing on con-crete.

Safety tip:

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* Enjoy is a registered trade-mark of the Coca-Cola Company.


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flame pass on fingers


How it looks: You use your hand as a matchstick to pass ames from a burning torch to an unburning torch.

How its done: Start by making sure both torches have been freshly dipped, and excess fuel shaken out. In your left hand, hold both torches so that theres about a 70-degree angle between them (gure 1). The torch on the left should be burning, the torch on the right should not. Hold them out in front of you, far enough that your right hand can maneuver around both

of them comfortably. Reach forward with your right hand and squeeze the wick of the non-burning torch between your thumb and index and middle ngers, (gure 2) pressing just hard enough to coat your ngertips with a small amount of fuel (Careful! Dont let too much fuel on there!). Next, repeat the motion on the burning torch (gure 3). When you

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