The flame dances around you as the audience, transfixed by the spectacle, secretly hopes for the horror that can ensue at any moment.  That inescapable instant when you finally screw up and light yourself on fire …

How bad will the damage be?  Well, that depends in part on what you’re wearing.  As was mentioned in the introductory post, it’s great to wear mind-blowing performance outfits but it’s equally important that whatever you wear whilst lit be chosen with the safety benefits and disadvantages in mind.

Fire “Safe” Fabrics – Unless you plan to rock a silver foil space-suit like the firemen who tend to the man-burn, you’re going to be at some risk of getting burnt no matter what you wear.  By judiciously selecting fabrics we can avoid potential dangers.  The first of these being the fabric melting and fusing onto your skin (an inherent danger with synthetic fabrics and some blends).  Polyester, rayon, spandex, nylon, latex, etc., all of these are made from chemicals that will readily burn and melt.  A companion danger to the “shrink-wrap” effect is the possibility of the fabric being so combustible that once lit, the fabric itself acts as fuel and continues to burn on its own!  These are not urban myths but phenomena we have experienced as fire performers.

If these dangers concern you, there are several methods of addressing them.  The first is to choose natural materials such as cotton/denim, linen, silk, wool, felt, leather, or other animal skins.  Certain synthetic materials that have been designed for fiery endeavors such as Nomex and CarbonX can also be safer choices.  Further, synthetic/natural fiber blends aren’t necessarily dangerous.  If the percentage of synthetic materials in the blend is low (say, less than 15% it’s really at your own discretion) then the material will probably react to flame in a way similar to 100% natural fiber.  Another alternative is to wear the unsafe material after treating it with one of many spray-on fire retardant chemicals (Warning: these chemicals cause skin irritation with most people).  Also, while the lining of a garment should be of some concern, it will likely not come into contact with open flame and should therefore only warrant serious consideration if you foresee the outer shell heating up to a dangerously high temperature.

When evaluating the safety of a fabric, consider more than just the fibers.  Just as music is a combination of silence and sound, so too the truth of flame feeds upon both fuel and air.  That’s right, the volume of air-gaps within the weave of the fabric can turn a seemingly fire “safe” natural fiber fabric into a flesh melting inferno.  That gauzy head to toe ensemble might create just the right ethereal performance vibe, but it will burn quickly.  Tightly woven fabrics are much less susceptible to ignition.

Think we’ve covered every material related safety aspect?  We wish!  Leather is a great insulator and even though it won’t burn easily, the flesh it’s covering can’t cool down and will boil.  The loose strands at the bottom of a worn denim jean pant leg can ignite, burn slowly, and end up singeing your booty!  Again, these are facts.  Our source is Controlled Burn, a large group of fire performers with a decade of experience.