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-Page Two Fuels-

The "burning" controversy among most fire eaters seems to be the question of what fuels to use. Is there one all-purpose fuel that can be used for everything the fire-eater does, or do we have to lug around an assortment of fuels, and mark the containers as to which is which? Some go to a gig with nothing but a bottle of Everclear© or vodka. Some will just buy a double shot of the stuff at a bar and start their show. Others need a whole wheeled cart full of assorted props and fuels to do an effective show. Naturally, the size of your show determines the number of props you are going to bring. But do you really need multiple fuels? The following tips may provide some insight to the better-known fire-eating fuels today...

ON FUELS

(an excerpt from Mephisto's book-in-the-works)

Be careful who you turn to for advice or help in regards to the Fire Eating art. You will get all sorts of well-intentioned, yet incorrect, advice -even from such supposedly knowledgeable sources as firemen or fire marshals, fire extinguisher service people, safety professionals, chemistry professors, etc. Why? Because, expert as they may be in their fields, they do NOT eat fire for a living. The fire department people spend their careers putting fires OUT. They know how to start fires, sure; and they understand flammables and maybe even explosives...that's part of their job. They can tell you how to safely ignite a fire, be it in your backyard or on stage. They can tell you if open-flame stage performances are legal in your community, and what chemicals can be legally used in your area. They can probably advise as to how much gunpowder (if any) your flashpot can safely hold. But they have no real knowledge or training to qualify them as far as issues like which fuel tastes best; how to fire-proof your face, hands, and costume; which fluids give the best stage effects with the least personal danger, etc.

I have talked with many experts in their fields and gotten just such "authoritative" advice mixed with usable related information. I've learned to humor some of these people, especially when they really do think they are helping. Of course, occasionally, you may run into an intelligent, schooled, and open-minded person who is willing to see the issues from your angle, and actually may come up with some brilliant ideas or insights. It's up to you to use common sense to weed out what's usable or applicable from what's not.

I have also seen examples of some of the troubles caused by so-called professional advice.

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I once received a request to help a night club performer who was having problems with her "flame dance" routine. This was an adult show club and she was using flaming torches to pass over and around her near-naked body, at times touching the skin and leaving lines of flaming fluid. She did not do fire-eating as such, but more or less "toyed" with the flaming torches in an erotic strip act. Her problem was, she was burning herself all too often and beginning to lose her nerve. I became suspicious the first time I observed her show. The act itself was good: professional; smooth; graceful movement... But her torches burned with a sort of bluish and not overly bright flame. I doubt that the audience really noticed, but I spotted nearly all the times she burned herself by the look on her face and in her eyes. What the audience may have thought was part of the show, I could see was true fear of the fire. After the show, I joined her backstage, where what I saw immediately confirmed my suspicions. There on the floor under her dressing table was her gallon can of "torch fuel" -alcohol solvent (also known as wood alcohol or denatured alcohol). After a bit of a pep talk, and on my insistence, the following day she stopped at a sporting goods store and picked up a can of Coleman campstove fuel. That night I was again in the crowd and saw about the best of that type of act ever. Her torches produced bigger, brighter, more brilliant yellow flames. When they first lit, she was momentarily shocked (which the audience took to be part of the act, of course). Recovering, she went on with the routine, carefully and warily at first. And as her confidence improved, so did her show. By the end, she was enjoying it as much as the audience and really didn't want to end it. I won't detail here what all she did on that stage, but suffice to say the men loved her, the management loved her, she didn't get burned that night, and more importantly, her self-confidence was restored and it showed in her quality performance. Needless to say, she felt deeply indebted to me for saving her act. No, I did not end up marrying her! I never saw her again, but I like to think she is still out there somewhere doing her beautiful flame-dance....

This from the simple observation of the color of the flames, confirmed by the solvent can backstage. Her choice of alcohol solvent as a torch fuel had been made on advice from some "authority" who supposedly knew what he was talking about and started her off all wrong.

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The following are Mephisto's own descriptions and advice on some of the more common fuels used by fire-eaters and would-be fire-eaters.

ALCOHOL:

It is important to distinguish between three basic types of alcohol.

First is the poisonous type (internally, at least), isopropyl -or rubbing alcohol- technically referred to as isopropanol, isobutanol, or methyl propanol. Hospitals always smell of this stuff. It comes in various strengths, and is used for sterilizing things. You've tasted it on the thermometer if you've ever had your temperature taken (orally, anyway...).

Second is its industrial cousin, methanol, or methylated spirits. This is basically the third variety with poisons added, mainly to make it undrinkable. Painters use this stuff a lot. It removes paint. It'll also remove skin, teeth, and hair....

Third is the non-poisonous (in moderation) variety, ethyl alcohol -or ethanol, also known as grain alcohol. This is more commonly known as the stuff in liquor that gets you drunk. That's really about all it's good for.

It should not be too hard to remember the three. Ethyl is the friendly lady you meet in the bar. Methyl sounds a lot like the hard drug, meth -which is a no-no. And Iso is what you apply to your tired, burning feet to make them feel icy cool (Or, when you taste the nurse's thermometer, you think, "Isohatethistaste!"

Methanol is fine for cooking and camping. It burns extremely hot, with a bluish flame, and gives off no smoke and few fumes. "Canned heat" (ie: Sterno©) is a good example. But on stage, the idea is not to barbecue yourself. We're not talking tepanyaki here. You want to survive, as intact as possible, for the next performance. Your understudy is not necessarily pacing the wings, waiting for his or her big break. And your next of kin sure better not be sitting at the insurance claims office waiting for a call from the morgue. If so, you and I together are going to give them all a surprise.

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When I first made the switch from night club to carnival side show performing, I brought along a cute little stunt, known as the "salamander's dessert". It utilized 190-proof grain alcohol (this stunt is detailed later). Nobody could figure out what I was doing, because in bright daylight the blue flame became invisible from more than a few feet away. So after that first act, and a big "What the hell?" from the show's owner, I never again used alcohol in any of my daylight shows.

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There seem to be quite a few fire-eaters who staunchly believe that grain alcohol is the best all-around fire-eating fuel. I take issue with that. First of all, despite what some people say, Everclear© and other brands are NOT pure alcohol. They are 190 proof, never 200 proof as some claim. 190 proof means 95% alcohol content. The rest is distilled water. Strong Vodka is 100 proof, or 50%. Of course, 151 rum is just what the label says- 151 proof, or 75.5%. Now, if pure methanol burns hot and blue, it stands to reason that ethanol diluted with water is not going to have an easier-to-see flame. True, the partial water content may make it feel a bit cooler than methanol, but what's the sense, if your audience still cannot see the flame?

Some in the magic community believe that isopropyl alcohol is the mythical "cold fire" fuel. Isopropyl is always partially diluted with water, like ethyl alcohol. It is never sold full-strength. So yes, the water content will offer some degree of protection to your skin, but only on condition that you apply it directly to your skin, or dip a finger into it and light. But there again we are talking about a bluish flame that is next to impossible to see in bright daylight. It would be acceptable in a nightclub setting (I have done this myself), with the house lights low enough that the wimpy flames can be seen, but that is about all.

Please do not misunderstand me here. I do not totally reject the use of alcohol. In fact, I am particularly fond of Jim Beam and Cola on occasion -though offstage only. Alcohol does have its uses in the fire performer's repertoire. We will touch on some of those uses later. But for now, it is simply too hot a subject (pun intended).

Lighter fluid also has its place. I especially like those little plastic squirt bottles of it for convenience on occasion. But I usually refill them with campstove fuel, or unleaded gasoline, depending on the intended use. There are other liquids and chemicals that the knowledgeable Fire Eater must be familiar with. -But don't expect non-Fire Eaters to advise you correctly about them....

"WHITE GAS":

Campstove fuel is basically naphtha, or "white gas". It burns bright yellow-orange and is actually quite a bit cooler burning, even, than gasoline [Note: this refers to open flames, such as torches, only. In an internal combustion engine, naphtha will burn HOTTER than gasoline, and could possibly cause irrepairable damage]. Its only disadvantage is that it does tend to smoke and smell a bit. Outdoors or in a large auditorium or hall, this is no problem at all. But in a confined area it can be. This is why you should hope the clubroom or hall or home you perform in has adequate ventilation without direct drafts.

If you can find a gas station that still sells white gas in bulk, great! Buy a five-gallon can full of the stuff, if not more! It's hard to come by today. But don't let the station attendant tell you the stuff in one of the pumps is white gas. If he does, he doesn't understand what you are asking for. The stuff in the pumps is unleaded gasoline and the "pump jockeys" sometimes refer to it as "white" as opposed to "red" or leaded (as if anybody still carries leaded gas anymore!). But it's not the same thing. What you're looking for would be in a 55-gallon drum, or if you are really lucky, something even bigger. A bigger tank generally means they stock more, probably sell more, and your source is assured for some time. But it won't be in the automotive pumps. Tell them you need naphtha and they'll probably just shake their heads. Like most store clerks today, the younger gas station attendants only know the product they carry, and have little or no knowledge of products that were discontinued before their time. These days you generally have to settle for campstove fuel in one-gallon cans. Some fire eaters use lighter fluid for just about everything they do. But these are the occasional performers who can't seem to realize that one of those little half-cup cans of lighter fluid costs nearly as much as a gallon of campstove fuel and gives exactly the same effects. Lighter fluid just has perfume added so your cigarette lighter will smell sweeter...

Some fire-eaters' books or websites contain advice to "use Coleman fuel" or "always use Ronsonol". -But they do not go into any further detail.

Coleman Fuel© and Ronsonol© happen to be brand names of campstove fuel and lighter fluid, respectively. Zippo© also markets lighter fluid. There is no reason at all not to use other brands, which may be lower priced, but just as effective. Also, keep in mind that prices may vary for the same product at different dealers. Generally, you're going to pay a lot more for the same thing at a "convenience" store or drugstore, than you would at say, a discount store, and you are getting the exact same product. So shop around, and make a note of the best places you find.

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Recently, I thought I'd found a real value on campstove fuel. This was Greatland© brand, from Wal-Mart and Target, selling for quite a bit less than the Coleman© brand. However, it gave my torches a soapy taste, and I quit using it. Since I am not out to kill business for any merchant, I'd say check it out. If the taste doesn't bother you like it did me, fine. I may just have more sensitive taste buds than you!

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In 1995, I happened to drive by a gas station in San Angelo, Texas that had a 500-gallon tank labeled, WHITE GAS. I regret that I was passing through, in a hurry, and never did stop to check it out. Who knows? Maybe the tank had been sitting there empty for twenty years before I came by and noticed it. On the other hand, maybe there is enough of a market for it in that area that they keep it in stock. -If you're in Texas, check it out!

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UNLEADED GASOLINE:

Yes, this is the same product the Brits and Aussies call "petro". We Yanks usually just call it "gas". It is sold as internal combustion engine fuel ONLY. However, the performers on the carnival sideshows used to routinely siphon a coffee-can full at a time from the show trucks to use in their performances. It can be, and is, used as a torch fuel, just as the "safer" fuels. There are basically only two problems with using automotive gasoline. One, it tastes terrible. If you've ever had to siphon some gas from a tank through a tube or hose, you know the taste. -And two, unleaded or not, it is STILL poisonous. You do not even have to swallow it for your skin to absorb the poisons. No, you will not flip over dead on the spot if you touch it. It is not like strychnine or arsenic or ebola. It is much more subtle and slow. So you will die a slow and agonizing death....Leave it alone. You can, however, use it in open containers or squirted about the stage for flashy effect. Just remember that the fumes are explosive, and the fire can back up into a squirt container, exploding it in your hands. There will be more on safe use of squirt containers later...

KEROSENE:

Kerosene is another of the Fire Eater's pet fuels. It's hard to go wrong with kerosene. This is the product some-especially Europeans- refer to as paraffin. I believe they mean to say liquid paraffin, as opposed to the solid variety, or common candle wax. Fresh kerosene is clear as water, and not too bad-smelling. "Odorless kerosene" is a version that, while not being totally odorless, does have even less odor than others. Any kerosene will become yellowish and eventually brown with age. It will also take on a smell like old house paint. When your kerosene gets this bad, either get rid of it, or use it for the same purposes you'd use diesel fuel (see below). A product called liquid paraffin is sold in many American department stores as high-grade lamp oil. It is pretty expensive, and actually slightly more volatile than plain kerosene. -This means there IS some chance of lamp oil backing up on you when it's not supposed to. "Kero" should NOT be used for torch fuel; At least, not by itself. Straight kerosene is much harder to light than campstove fuel or white gas, and will smoke a lot, giving your torches a terrible taste, as well as smoking up the room or hall faster than a cigar on a bus. Some of the maneuvers you would do with torches and flames in your mouth or hand simply cannot be done with kerosene, since they depend on fumes. And kerosene gives off very little of the needed fumes for these effects. For outdoor shows, especially during daylight, I sometimes like to mix just a small amount of kerosene with my torch fuel to make it smoke more. But the higher the percentage of kerosene, the more difficult it will be to light your torches, the more easily they will accidentally blow out, and the worse they'll taste. If you are concerned about mixing fuels, then you can get nearly identical results using charcoal lighter fuel. This is quite similar to a naphtha/kerosene mix.-But some of the subtle little tricks still will not work with charcoal lighter fuel.

Here is a little "secret" that so many beginning fire-eaters somehow do not know, or choose to ignore: Kerosene is the best and safest fuel for the Human Volcano, or the "Blow" as some call it. Someone somewhere told these beginners that they should use Coleman© or Ronsonol©, so that is what they religiously use, for everything they do. And they invariably suffer the consequences when the fire backs up and burns all over their face and chest. They tend to blame it on the wind, or anything but their own ignorance. This "secret" is the major reason behind this website. I have known and heard of too many accidents, from minor burns and near-misses to terribly disfiguring "living cremations" because of people using volatile fuels like Coleman fuel or lighter fluid in attempting the human volcano. In all the books and articles I have seen over the years, kerosene was never mentioned as a fuel for blowing. More recently, I have only found two Internet articles that touch on the subject. If this "secret" can save the life of one fire-eater, it will have paid for my website and domain name.

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In the early 70's, I myself had the misfortune of having a human volcano back up on me. This was an indoor stage show before an overpacked auditorium. I still think the audience believed it was planned. It was one of my first fire performances before a large crowd, and I was understandably very nervous. I had knocked my candle off the table, and kicked over a co₂ fire extinguisher, as well as flubbed a couple magic tricks in my nervousness. When I took some fuel (Coleman fuel, of course) in my mouth, I was aware that some dribbled down my chin. But I was already too apprehensive to stop and wipe it with the cloth I had. So, when I blew, the back-up should have been predictable. To the audience, the show was amazing. Here's a guy standing there onstage with nothing but flames where his head should be! After seeming to strangle myself with both hands for what seemed to me like an hour, I finally had the fire out, took my bow, and flew to the backstage dressing room, which fortunately had a sink. I rinsed my face and neck with cold running water for about five minutes before standing upright to view the damage in the mirror: Hairline back by a couple inches; no eyebrows or lashes; blisters forming on nostrils and earlobes; and... two huge blisters on my neck. I am deaf, and at that time wore one of the old style hearing aids with a wire connected to a battery unit in a body-harness. The twisted double wire had its insulation completely melted off. I saved that wire for years as a reminder of my close call and the extreme heat I'd endured. Somewhere in time the souvenir eventually was lost, but the memory is as fresh as if it was last week -nearly 30 years later. I was extremely lucky in that, within a few months I had no visible scar.

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Most survivors of such an experience are not so lucky. While I have the memories, many professional fire-eaters can show you the actual scars from incidents suffered years ago. A fellow fire-eater showed me the waffle-pattern skin grafts on his arms a year after his blow backed up on him. The doctors had done a much smoother job on his chin and neck, but his stomach and chest also sported the tell-tale waffle pattern of skin grafts. -After paying the medical bills, his bank account had an even bigger scar for the rest of his life.

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It IS possible to get by using naphtha, or even automotive gasoline for the Human Volcano. The technique will be (reluctantly) described later, under that category. Using kerosene, or even diesel fuel if you can stand the terrible oily taste, is by far the safest. This does not make it foolproof. There is still a danger. But the danger is minimized as far as possible. Kerosene in its purest form is used as jet-engine fuel in aircraft. When blown and atomized, it will burn with the heat and intensity of a blast furnace or a jet engine. But, and this is the point to consider- cold kerosene in a cup or bowl will NOT ignite. Kerosene (paraffin -UK), lamp oil, and diesel fuel can be ignited in 3 ways: 1.) If preheated; 2.) If absorbed in some sort of "wick" (caution- your clothing or hair can become this "wick" if you spill your fuel); 3.) If atomized either with a mechanical sprayer or by blowing it out your mouth.

I have personally demonstrated this many times. Take two metal mixing bowls and into one put about a half-shot of lighter fluid, Coleman fuel, or automotive gasoline (Petrol in UK). Into the other put as much kerosene as you like. (For comparison, we will use a half-shot to make both bowls equal.) Toss a match into the first bowl, making sure you have enough clearance to step back when the flames erupt, as they definitely will. Smother the fire or let it burn out. Now do the same with the kerosene. I assure you, you can even hold the match and place it on the surface of the kerosene. One word of warning here. -If the kerosene is hot, it WILL burn, though not with the explosive force of the other bowl. This is why kerosene was supposedly used in "Molotov Cocktails," the "beer-bottle bombs" invented and made popular in WWII by the Finnish Army.

(By the way, the Theater of the Vampires inferno in the movie, "Interview With the Vampire" was stage effects. It simply isn't possible with wine, brandy, or any liquor that would have been in the vats! -But it WAS a good movie... I recall another movie wherein the hero, an off-duty cop, sauntered into a biker bar, took a big swig of whiskey, and blew it over a Zippo cigarette lighter, sending the "bad guys" scurrying out the door. -This again cannot be done. I believe that actor used kerosene.)

As a further test, you could fill a spray bottle with kerosene and spray some over an open flame. Don't try this test with Coleman fuel, gasoline, or lighter fluid. They can back up and explode the spray-bottle!

Some people have presented me with the defense that Coleman fuel makes a bigger, brighter, or more spectacular "fireball" when blown than kerosene. I believe I could safely challenge anyone on that issue. To the audience, it makes no difference. Only a trained eye can really tell the difference. It has been my experience that Coleman fuel does burn more intensely, and will radiate a bit more heat. But this again makes little difference to the audiences. As I've said, fire-eating is a performance first and foremost -not a challenge sport. A slight difference in size, length, or brilliance is not going to impress the audience if the performer is taken away in an ambulance after the show. The audience comes to be entertained by a good show, not to judge the size of your fires. When you have a schedule of anywhere from five to twenty shows in one day, you want to be around and in good shape for all of them.

I have also received letters from some readers, suggesting that lamp oil, or liquid paraffin, would be safer than kerosene for this purpose. I stand behind my statement that kerosene is the SAFEST. Having already stated that liquid paraffin, in my experience, is slightly more volatile than kerosene, and knowing that lamp oils do contain fragrance-producing additives, you will have less trouble and less danger all-around using pure, fresh Kerosene -either regular or the higher-priced odorless variety, from a reputable manufacturer.

When I look at pictures of performers doing the Human Volcano, I often can tell which fuel they are using by how close the fire comes to their mouth, or the knowing fear in their eyes.

So there you have it. -The big "secret" and the one most important tip the Master can give you. And the reason this website was created. If you laugh off every other tip, please take this one seriously. It just might save your life.

DIESEL FUEL

This, like alcohol, comes in a couple varieties. We have all smelled the foul fumes of a semi truck shifting gears on a hill. That is diesel fuel. You can get it in two grades, diesel #1 and diesel #2. Diesel fuel is actually the same fuel that is used in home oil-burning furnaces. In a pinch, if your oil tank runs out in the dead of winter, you can safely run out to a gas station and get five or ten gallons of diesel fuel to tide you over till the oil company truck comes out. Actually, in a real pinch, you could dump in some kerosene or even lamp oil if you happen to have several gallons sitting around (I've done it myself!). Diesel #2 is thicker, more oily, and sulfurous. It is used mainly in warmer weather, since it turns gelatinous when it gets cold. This is also the notorious pollution-maker of big factories, second only to coal. Diesel #1 is more costly, but better all-around, for both trucks and home heating. It flows better in cold weather, and burns slightly cleaner. I use diesel fuel for outdoor shows, as fuel for a couple of big attention-getting torches on either side of my stage. Diesel fuel is even harder to ignite than kerosene, but once it gets burning, it gives off a good, smoky flame that helps draw attention. A few squirts of lighter fluid or gasoline will help it get started. Don't use it to dip your fire-eating torches in, or they will be hard to light, hard to manage, and very foul tasting.

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