Buzz
It’s done with immense caution. This isn't a joke; fire eaters, whether they’re mystics or circus performers, don’t hide much about their craft. There's a widespread myth that fire eaters use ‘cold flames’ that aren’t hot enough to burn the skin or that they apply fireproof chemicals to their mouths, but in reality, any flame, from any source, can burn you (how many times have you burned the roof of your mouth from something as harmless as a slice of pizza?). Using flame-retardant chemicals on the mouth also poses potential health hazards. The true secret to fire eating lies in precision, practice, and an understanding of one simple principle—heat rises.
[Just a quick note: I am not a fire eater, and this is not a fire-eating tutorial. I’m a writer, and this article simply explains how professional fire eaters manage their craft. You should not try fire eating at home based on this article, and if you do, you can’t hold me or Mytour.com responsible when your spouse/significant other/roommate/landlord/legal guardian asks why you burned down the house. Now, moving on...]
Time to Feast
Fire eaters don’t literally consume fire. They place the flames in their mouths and put them out. It's akin to extinguishing a candle with your fingers, but far more impressive. Throughout their act, fire eaters need to keep two facts in mind: first, fire and hot air always move upward; second, never inhale.
A fire eater begins by taking a solid stance to maintain balance, tilting their head back while holding the torch above them.
As the torch moves closer to the fire eater's mouth, they take a deep breath, exhaling slowly and steadily. This controlled exhalation helps keep the heat away from the performer’s face as they position the torch closer, placing it into their mouth. With their tongue extended and flat, the fire eater gently places the wick of the torch (which should feel cool—fire eaters often use Kevlar for their wicks) onto their tongue and partially closes their lips around the torch in an 'O' shape.
Everything’s going smoothly so far. Now, the fire eater needs to put out the flame quickly. There are two ways to do this: One way is to completely close the lips around the torch, cutting off oxygen and snuffing out the flame; the other method is to blow out the flame with a swift exhale. The latter is preferred when the torch has been lit for some time and might be too hot to touch with the lips.
And that’s fire eating in a nutshell (though fire eaters have a range of other stunts, like vapor tricks, multiple torch performances, and intricate extinguishing methods). It seems simple, but to do it properly and impress a crowd, fire eaters must master the technique and then practice for years. If you’re thinking about making a career or hobby of it, the Coney Island Sideshow School offers classes in the art of fire eating.
* I’m using the feminine pronoun because 1. most of the fire eaters I’ve encountered have been women, and 2. I prefer not to write ‘he/she’ every time.
