Spit fire

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Duo Somalas at a performance
Fire eater
Fire eater
Fire breathers in Bad Ischl, Austria
Fire eater at the "Night Safari" in Singapore

When breathing fire, a person spits or blows an incendiary agent against a source of fire, usually a torch. If the fire agent is finely atomized, the total surface area of ​​the fire agent particles is very high. The fire agent burns very quickly and a bright flame is created . A fire eater, on the other hand, is an artist who puts burning torches in his mouth and thereby suffocates the fire .

Incendiary agent

The choice of fire agent has a great influence on the type of flame and the fire breathing technique used. Some fire agents are particularly harmful to health. A basic distinction is made between powder and liquid fire agents ( pyrofluids ).

powder

Powdered incendiary agents are especially recommended for beginners, as the health risk is allegedly lower. Often these are blown out through a tube (dragon's tongue), because the powder is not directly in the mouth. But with powdery incendiary agents, the risk of pneumonia is just as present as with liquid incendiary agents. Bear moss spores (spores from Lycopodium bisdepuratum) are popular here . These are available in pharmacies or artisan shops. Other popular remedies are based on an amount of magnesium and aluminum . These flames burn brighter than club moss spores, which is why they are often used for shows during the day or on illuminated stages. It is also possible to use finely ground, commercially available flour.

Pyrofluid

Any pyrofluid can cause fatal pneumonia. In most cases, a pyrofluid is a liquid based on highly purified petroleum , which can be purchased in pharmacies, drugstores or specialist retailers. The fire eater takes this liquid in his mouth and spits it out again under pressure through his slightly pursed lips. The pyrofluid is atomized due to the nozzle effect. If the spray touches a torch, a ball of fire is created. Although petroleum-based pyrofluids are harmful to health when they come into contact with the skin and especially the mucous membranes, professional fire breathers usually prefer this variant, as it offers more options in terms of spitting techniques and thus also the effects achieved. For several years there has also been rapeseed oil-based lamp oil , with which fire-breathing is possible. Due to its higher flash point, it does not ignite as well as petroleum-based oils, which is why spitting is difficult and the so-called fallout - the proportion of unburned pyrofluid that falls to the ground - is greater, but this also means that the probability of flashbacks is lower. Good fire-breathing agents have a flash point of 50 ° C to 60 ° C and a low fire point of around 90 ° C. Water can be used for practice.

hazards

Breathing fire can be life threatening for the performer. Accidental inhalation or swallowing of a large amount of the fire agent can lead to acute respiratory distress. Also can pneumonia be the result. Further dangers are burns , e.g. B. from inflamed clothing or hair, and poisoning from unsuitable fire agents.

lung infection

A pneumonia by fire breathing can be fatal, destroying parts of the lungs and affect the performance permanently. Lung infections caused by fire breathing are caused by inhaled vapor or by 'swallowing' ( aspiration ) of oily liquids. This so-called lipid pneumonia or "chemical inflammation" is triggered by the destruction of the phospholipid film in the alveoli and can lead to fatal pulmonary edema or severe bacterial pneumonia. This mechanism is independent of the agent used or its purity and is only caused by its physical properties. Persistent coughing fits are serious warning signs of lipid pneumonia. In the years 2000 and 2001, over 100 cases of this type were registered in the German poison information centers .

In the show area, powders are considered to be a healthier alternative to petroleum or other flammable fluids. As a powder, mostly bear moss spores (so-called bear moss spores ) are used. Here too, however, pneumonia after inhalation was described in individual cases.

Burns

A slight twist or fanning of the wind can result in the artist standing in his own flame. With fluids in particular, it can also happen that the flame strikes back and the fluid ignites directly in front of or on the face, in the worst case even penetrates into the interior of the throat. If the fire eater inhales at such a moment, severe lung damage is the result.

Poisoning

Many beginners underestimate this source of danger of breathing fire, because almost all incendiary agents are toxic to humans. Unprotected contact with the skin or mucous membranes is often enough to cause symptoms of poisoning such as rashes, itching or vomiting. Particularly when using Pyrofluid, accidental swallowing can lead to harmful , irreparable or even fatal poisoning. There is a risk of unwanted swallowing, because the fire-eater constantly fights against the body's own swallowing reflex during the show, which is why fire-breathing while lying down is particularly dangerous. Even small amounts of the incendiary substance get through the oral mucous membranes into the blood, which can cause symptoms of poisoning. A possible risk to the nasal mucous membranes from holding the fuel in the mouth for a long time can lead to sinusitis in some fire- breathers .

Unsuitable fire agents

Alcohol , mineral spirits or liquid grill lighters are not suitable for breathing fire. The reason for this is their low flash point , which means that they ignite too quickly and too easily. Mineral spirits and alcohol in particular are very dangerous. Both can be ignited at temperatures between 20 ° C and 45 ° C in order to then burn in a fast, explosive jet flame, which also tends to strike back - i.e. ignite against the spray current up to the source - around the face, clothing and to burn or ignite the interior of the throat. There are also chemical additives in liquid grill lighters so that they burn quickly, odorless, colorless and sootless. These additives are poisonous and can lead to poisoning even if they are used once.

Spitting fire with self-made mixtures of black powder and flour can look nice, but they burn very quickly or explosively ( flour dust explosion ). Such funds should therefore be avoided in principle. It is also technically possible to collect the butane gas from a commercially available lighter in the mouth and blow it against a flame; the effect is a short deflagration with a high risk of back migration of the flame.

literature

  • Patrick Fonger: breathing fire and swallowing fire - tricks with fire . 4th edition. Aragon Verlag, Moers 2002, ISBN 3-89535-432-5 , p. 116 .

Web links

Commons : Spitting Fire  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. BgVV warns: Playing with fire can be life-threatening . On: bfr.bund.de on December 19, 2001
  2. Dangerous fire-breathing and fire-swallowing ( memento from October 23, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) . On: uniklinik-freiburg.de
  3. ^ A. Morresi-Hauf, A. Neher, W. Wöckel, H. Kammler-Baumann: Granulomatous bronchiolitis after aspiration of Lycopodium spores in a fire eater. In: Pneumology. Volume 63, Number 2, February 2009, pp. 67-71, ISSN  1438-8790 . doi: 10.1055 / s-2008-1038256 . PMID 18777466 .