Fire Eaters

A fire eater is an entertainer, often a street artist or part of a sideshow. The performer places flaming objects into their mouth and extinguishes them by cutting off oxygen. They also practice controlling and transferring the flame.

Other than sound fire safety precautions and some practical advice regarding the laws of physics (i.e. “hot air rises”), there are few secrets to eating fire. Torches do not burn with “cold flames” nor is there any special substance in the performer’s mouth other than saliva.

 

Here you will find all the need-to-know basics of eating fire as well as learn about the history.

 

1. • 1

     Train under a professional fire eater or attend a fire eating workshop. Untrained individuals must never attempt fire eating alone or with a non-professional.

   • 2

     Properly set up the fire eating area. Use a floor with a surface that is fire-proof and non-absorbent. Make sure there is no breeze or draft. Check that there is nothing in the area that can catch on fire. Have first aid supplies and a fire extinguisher available.

   • 3

     Light your torch. Fire eaters use special torches, wicks and fuel.

   • 4

     Stand in the correct position. The fire eater stands with his legs wide so that he is properly balanced. He will then tilt back his head with his nose and mouth pointing straight up. This position assures that all the heat of the torch goes directly up to the ceiling and away from his face and mouth.

   • 5

     Breathe correctly. This is the most important aspect of fire eating. The performer takes a deep breath and exhales slowly and with control for 15 to 20 seconds. This causes much of the heat to blow away from the face. If he inhales even a little bit, flames will be sucked into his lungs.

   • 6

     Eat the fire. The performer sticks out his tongue so it is wide and flat. He then lowers the fiery torch onto his tongue, takes the torch into his mouth with his tongue and then closes his lips almost entirely around the shaft of the torch.

   • 7

     Quench the flame. With a last puff of air, the fire eater puts out the flame. This must be done very carefully because the lips will be burned if there is even a moment of contact with the torch’s shaft.

   • 8

     Perform more tricks. With years of practice and skill a fire eater can perform a number of more impressive tricks such as eating fiery embers, fire vapor tricks, giant fire blasts, breathing fire and holding the torch with the teeth.

 

 

 

 

Vapor tricks

Vapor tricks utilize the fuel vapors held in the mouth during or before an extinguish.

• Cigarette light – light a cigarette with a Human Candle
• Human candle – slowly feed a candle sized flame with vapors you hold
• Vapor transfer – ignite one torch with the vapor from another
• Moonshot – shoot vapors straight up

Transfers

Transfers are methods of moving a flame from one area to another, by using the body, or another surface or medium.

• Body transfers – transfer the flame from one torch to the other with parts of your body, e.g. arm, leg, chest, buttocks, etc.
• Finger transfer – transfer the flame from one torch to the other with your fingers (most common form of transfer)
• Fire floor transfer – transfer the flame from one torch to the other on the floor
• Tongue transfer – transfer the flame from one torch to the other with your tongue

Extinguishes

Extinguishes are methods of extinguishing torches, and are the traditional hallmark of fire eating.

• The Blow Out – Utilizing breath control to extinguish
• The Extinguisher – Utilizing a class:B fire extinguisher to extinguish aforementioned flame
• Multiple fire eat – basic fire eat with several torches at once
• Flaming cotton ball extinguish – put out a cotton ball as you would a torch
• Hand snuff – put the torch out by snuffing it with your hand
• Whip extinguish – pull the torch down out of the flame to extinguish it

Others

• Teething – hold a lit torch by the wick in your teeth
• Immolation – passing any part of the body through the flame
• Retention – Holding a lit fire torch by your hand with the lit wick within your mouth for an extended period of time
• Straight snuff – Fire eating whilst keeping your head level
• Tongue rest – Letting the lit wick of a fire torch rest on the tongue
• Shotgun – lighting a trail of fuel on the body to light and unlit fire torch.
• Slow burn – Very slowly dragging a lit fire torch on the skin