Author's note: This article explains only the basic ideas behind fire eating. It doesn't include vital fire safety measures used by all professionals. For detailed explanations, including these safety measures, take a look at The Professional's Guide to Fire Eating.
So you wanna know how to eat fire? I won't lie. It's dangerous. It could kill you. A fire-eater takes flames that are more than 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit and puts them in his mouth. He swallows chemicals from containers that clearly state "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 fire-eater's house, disfigure his face, hurt or kill his loved ones, bankrupt him, and send him on a permanent path to financial ruin.
Still interested? Good.
Disclaimer
In this article we tell you how fire-eaters prepare themselves to put dangerous flames in their mouths. Keep in mind that this is only an exposé, and anyone truly serious about learning to eat fire should do it by training under a qualified professional. I'm skipping a lot of fire safety information and focusing on the methods used by the pros. Just as reading a flight manual doesn't qualify you to fly a plane, reading this article doesn't qualify you to start eating fire.
First things first
A professional fire-eater starts with a mental picture of what he's about to attempt. He's not going to eat the fire. He's going to put out the flame using his mouth. It's very much akin to snuffing out a candle with your fingertips. Throughout the process, he has to remember two things.
- Fire goes up.
- Exhale.
That's it! As simple as they sound, these are the fundamental maxims of fire eating.
Step by step
Holding the torch above his head, the fire-eater will take a wide stance (so he won't lose his balance) and tilt back his head. He'll make sure his nose and mouth point straight up toward the ceiling. As long as his posture is correct, almost all the heat of the torch should go directly up to the ceiling and away from his face and mouth, making the job much less painful.
Before the torch gets near his face, he'll take in a deep breath and slowly begin to exhale in a steady, controlled stream. His exhaling breath should last from 15 to 20 seconds and cause only small ripples in the flames of the torch. He'll never let himself run out of exhalation breath during fire eating, because any amount of inhalation will suck those 2,200-degree flames into his lungs, immediately causing severe burns. This slow exhalation will cause almost all the heat of the flame to blow out of his mouth and away from the face.
Now he'll stick out his tongue wide and flat, and lower the burning wick of the torch onto it. Since it's the fuel that's burning and not the wick, the wick will be surprisingly cool to the touch.
Once the torch is placed on his tongue, he'll use his tongue to draw the torch all the way into his mouth while closing his lips into an "O" shape around the torch. Think of his tongue as a landing pad/docking station for the wick.
There are two ways to completely extinguish the flame. The fire-eater can close his lips all the way around the metal rod of the torch. Most beginners use this method in practice, and it works as long as the metal rod of the torch is still cool. Once he makes a complete seal, the oxygen will be cut off and the flame will immediately disappear.
Or the fire-eater can close his lips almost completely around the rod and then extinguish the flame in a final gust of puffed air. This method is used in actual performances almost exclusively, because on stage there's no opportunity to ice down your torch, and even the slightest contact with the heated rod will burn your lips.
That's all there is to it
Assuming he correctly followed the above steps, he did it! He has successfully eaten fire! It probably didn't look too pretty, but that's fine. Fire eating isn't a trick. There's no secret. It's a skill, like juggling. You must first learn the method and then spend years training and practicing to make your craft look impressive.
And here's the best part: There's so much more you can do with fire eating, including the giant fire blast, fire vapor tricks, finger-flame transfers, cigarette and match tricks, eating fiery embers, multiflame swallows, and the torch-hold in teeth. To find out about how these work, and to read some outrageous stories of fire-eating mistakes, complete with pictures, visit my site. Also, take a look at "The Professional's Guide to Fire Eating," a 172-page book with more than 206 illustrations written by yours truly.
Enjoy!
