How to Blow Fire

Fire blowing is a trick that has been used for decades by circus performers, magicians, side show artists and the like. A fire blower uses a technique that involves taking a fuel into the mouth and lighting it on fire with a flame source to create an illusion of blowing, or breathing, fire. Fire breathing is extremely dangerous and practitioners of the performance art must practice with discipline and regularity to master the technique and ensure their safety and the audience's safety. If you are interested in the craft of the fire blower, read these steps for how to blow fire.

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Steps

1. 1
   Choose a fuel. Take the following things into consideration: flash point, taste, color, smell and smoke. You have several choices in fuel, and they each have different characteristics and produce different results: kerosene (paraffin), lamp oil, naphtha (white gas), lighter fluid, gasoline or ethyl alcohol.
   
   
2. 2
   Buy or make your fire blowing torches.
   
   
   • Find binding specialized for fire blowers. Stay away from cotton.
   • You may use anything for the stick portion of the torch. Just make sure it is not flammable, and that it is long enough to keep your hands at a safe distance from the flame.
   • Use a whipping knot to bind your torches, connecting the wick to the stick and allowing enough of a wick to light the torch easily.
3. 3
   Light your torch.
   
   
4. 4
   Blow fire. There is a specific technique for spitting the fuel so as to produce the desired effect and to protect everyone's safety.
   
   
   • Take a deep breath to fill your lungs.
   • Pour fuel into your mouth. Do not sip or suck on the fuel.
   • Spit the fuel out of your mouth forcefully, so as to separate the fuel into as many tiny fuel droplets as possible. The fuel should seem to explode out of your mouth. The more forceful the explosion, the better the fire breathing effect. Keep your spout at between a 60 and 80 degree angle from your mouth.
   • Hold the torch at arm's length in front of the fuel ball as you spit it.
   • Continue to exhale with force even after you have expelled all of the fuel.
   • Wait several seconds after exhaling before inhaling again in order to prevent yourself from ingesting any fuel.
   Tips

• Before attempting to blow fire, first practice extensively with water (as opposed to fuel) to get the feel for how to create the ideal spray for your intended effect.
• When choosing your fuel for fire breathing, it is best to pick one that is non-toxic and that has a low flash (ignition) point for safety reasons.
• To put on a good show, you can get creative with the creation of your torches. For example, if you want to juggle your flaming torches while you blow fire, make torches out of bowling pins.

 Warnings

• Beware of fire blowing in windy circumstances, as it will be hard to predict the direction the fuel will take when you spit it.
• Be careful not to ingest any fuel.
• Do not blow fire where there are power lines or low hanging branches.
• Fuels contain carcinogens, putting those who blow fire at a higher risk of cancer.