Spitting fire is a trick that has been used for decades by circus performers, magicians and street performers at carnivals, fairs or the like. The fire-breathers use a technique that consists in putting a combustible liquid in their mouth and making it ignite by spitting it on a burning flame, in order to create the illusion of spitting or blowing fire. It is an extremely dangerous art, and the people who practice it require exercise and discipline to master it without risking their own safety and that of the spectators. If you are interested in the art of fire-breathing, read the following steps to find out how to do it yourself.
Steps
Step 1. Choose a flammable liquid
Consider the following: the flash point (the minimum temperature at which the fuel ignites), the taste, color, smell and type of smoke produced. You have several types of flammable liquids, with different characteristics, and which produce different results: kerosene (paraffin), lamp oil, naphtha (white or lampante petroleum), other lighter flammable liquids, gasoline (gasoline) or ethyl alcohol.
Step 2. Purchase or make your own fire-breathing torches
- For the flammable end (the wick) of the torch, get a specific material for fire-breathing torches. Avoid cotton.
- Any material can be fine for the torch shaft, provided that it is not flammable and that the shaft is long enough to keep the hand in a safe position away from fire.
- Attach the wick to the torch shaft with a splice, and leave enough wick on the end to easily ignite the torch.
Step 3. Turn on your flashlight
Step 4. Spit the fire
There is a specific technique to be used to spit out the flammable liquid in order to produce the desired effect while preserving everyone's safety.
- Take a deep breath to fill your lungs.
- Put some of the flammable liquid in your mouth. It is important not to sip or suck on it.
- Spit out the liquid with force, so as to spray it in as large a space as possible, in many droplets. The impression to create is that of the fire that explodes in front of your mouth. The more vigorous the jet, the better the effect obtained. Spit from the mouth upwards, maintaining an angle between 60 and 80 degrees.
- Hold the flashlight with your arm extended in front of your mouth as you spit, so that the distance between the flashlight and your body is equal to the length of your arm.
- Continue to exhale strongly even after you have expelled all the liquid.
- After you have finished exhaling, wait several seconds before inhaling again to avoid the risk of swallowing liquid.
Advice
- Before using the flammable liquid, practice with water to try to get the perfect jet to achieve the desired effect.
- For added safety, when choosing a flammable liquid it is best to opt for a non-toxic type that has a low flash point.
- To enhance your show, you can get creative in making your own flashlights. If you want to add a juggling element to the fire, for example, you can use bowling pins as torches.
Warnings
- Spitting fire with the wind is particularly dangerous: the wind makes it difficult to predict the direction that the jet of flammable liquid will take.
- Be very careful not to ingest the flammable liquid.
- Do not spit fire near electrical wires or low branches.
- Flammable liquids contain supporting carcinogenic substances that can increase the risk of cancer for those who practice the art of breathing fire.
