Fire Breathing - Maximum Distance

Hi everyone

Firstly, I must apologise for my first post being a question. I know it is not customary. However, I am active at quite a few boards, but none that are involved in the specifics of fire, and I need to work on something quite fast.

Basically, I have been asked to perform on a TV show, they want Fire Breathing, which I do on a regular basis. The slot involves breathing fire over as large a distance as possible. Currently I think I can hit about 15 ft. Does anyone have any tips they would like to share for improving on that?

I normally use paraffin, but have been considering mixing it 50/50 with colemans, however the advantages of the longer burn time, which I imagine I will get, might be outweighed by the added danger of this method.

Any advice or suggestions, for both fuels and methods would be appreciated.

For more information about my shows please see my website. In case you are worried that I am a crazy amateur. I promise, I am not! As well as being a full time professional I also work as a stunt technical advisor and tutor.

Many thanks again

David Straitjacket

Are you actually competing with someone else? Or is it just a "How big a flame can you get"? What TV Show is it?

I'd say that 15ft is plenty big enough! Avoid Colemans like the plague (the plague is also bad for you) because it's not worth the massive increase in risk just to add on a couple of feet/seconds.

I don't have a lot of info on the methods, because I was asking about that not so long ago myself.

Basically, (and you probably know this) don't do anything you're not completely familiar with just for the benefit of the audience. Do what you know best and have done plenty of times before.

Take care, have fun, and play (relatively ) safe!

High winds are good for distance... Just make sure you know what youre doing because high wind breathing is a bit different than the normal method.

I must admit, Fire Breathing makes me cringe. Doesn't it make you ill?

Dave,

You didn't email me on how you get that balloon through your nasal passages in your human blockhead routine!

Other than changing your fuel and using high wind. The best thing you could do until the show is just to continue building your lungs. Keep practising with water, blow up some balloons, holding your breathe, etc.

Hi guys

Sorry I have not been back in a while. Very busy right now!

Anyway, I thought I should fill you in on how the show went.

Well, firstly, no-one broke any Fire Breathing records, there were 4 of us on the show and the best two were chosen to go forward onto the live broadcast. Me and Bob the fire eater (previous record holder) were neck and neck at about 18 ft straight up. The current record is 17.5 ft, so we were over that.

Anyway, the show was being broadcast from an aircraft hanger, by the time it came to filming it was -2 centigrade, and the wind was blowing through the door, which was fully open. This took about 2 foot each off our breaths, with Bob ultimatly doing the bigger one.

Had conditions been good I think we would both have done it, with Bobs being the bigger breath, with the crap weather, we didn't really have a chance

Still, it was a fun day out, and we got paid, what more can you ask for

Matthew, have you emailed me a question or something? I haven't gotten anything if you have. Send it again and I will try and help.

Cheers guys

David Straitjacket