# Fire!



## JustJimAZ (Aug 19, 2010)

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - Fire and Halloween make an AWESOME combination! Sure, there are safety concerns. You probably wouldn't want real fire in a pro haunt - or any haunt where it might be in a confined space. Still, for a Halloween party, fire generally makes a cheap and spectacular show.

While investigating novel ways to illuminate my party - and hopefully not my guests - I came across these great looking ideas and thought I'd share.

Fireball shooter using flash paper





Fireballs from cotton and lighter fluid





Green fire!





Green not good enough?





Love to hear your ideas. Have a pyro-riffic 2012!


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## Hauntiholik (May 17, 2006)

Seems fairly dangerous.


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## JustJimAZ (Aug 19, 2010)

Hauntiholik said:


> Seems fairly dangerous.


It does, doesn't it?


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## Dark Angel 27 (Sep 11, 2008)

very interesting...


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## RandalB (Jun 8, 2009)

Maybe a good idea for an outdoor graveyard. I added a few clearance Tiki Torches to mine last year and it was a good effect. A few eerie green or red torches illuminating the grave stones might be nice....

I'll try some experiments...

RandalB


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Years ago when playing the part of a sorceress in a show, I had a scene where the director wanted sparks to fly from my hands at the beginning of a spell I was casting. For this effect, we used a little flash cotton that was placed in a holder shaped like a ring - easy to slip onto a finger and ignited with a device like that of a lighter. Here's my tip from that experience - make sure your fingers are not cupped over the flash cotton when it ignites:jol:


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## walterb (Jul 27, 2010)

I received rave reviews a few years ago when I used green fire. The tots were amazed. The problem is getting the visibility and constant refueling. My father ended up with a small green fire on his back, no injuries thankfully. I tried to make green fire logs this year with no luck. It is quite easy to make colored fire, DEET mixed with various powders can produce a rainbow of colors. What is needed is a glass container that will not shatter. I used thick glass containers which lasted thirty minutes before shattering. If anyone knows a type of glass that does not shatter do to heat please share. I would love to have true flaming cauldrons again.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

^Were the containers Pyrex?


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## walterb (Jul 27, 2010)

No just very thick glass, I tested Pyrex separately, but the measuring cup cracked too


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## BrotherMysterio (Nov 25, 2011)

Wicked!


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## wandererrob (Aug 8, 2007)

walterb said:


> No just very thick glass, I tested Pyrex separately, but the measuring cup cracked too


I'm a little surprised that pyrex cracked, but glass generally does not like direct exposure to flames for long.

What was the actual setup? Just fire burning in a jar? Or was the glass serving as a chimney (think hurricane lamp).

Maybe try said mixtures in one of those cheap parafin Dietz knockoff lanterns?


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

Hmmm... I wonder if the wick in a lawn tiki would block the dissolved salts and kill the color effect? I'd love to take some of those camping... we always take a few packets of "Mystic Fire" salts to throw into the campfire; it would be great to have different colored flames for the torches too. Lessee, thed dollar store sometimes sells little tiki cans... might be time to experiment...

Stand back... I'm gonna do science...!!!


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## JustJimAZ (Aug 19, 2010)

Revenant said:


> Hmmm... I wonder if the wick in a lawn tiki would block the dissolved salts and kill the color effect? I'd love to take some of those camping... we always take a few packets of "Mystic Fire" salts to throw into the campfire; it would be great to have different colored flames for the torches too. Lessee, thed dollar store sometimes sells little tiki cans... might be time to experiment...
> 
> Stand back... I'm gonna do science...!!!


They made it work commercially Rev - Amazon.com: Lamplight 1209191 Tiki Colored Flame Torch Fuel: Patio, Lawn & [email protected]@[email protected]@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/[email protected]@[email protected]@41qbepR01QL
There must be a way.


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## Aquayne (Sep 1, 2008)

Very bad idea.


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## Aquayne (Sep 1, 2008)

VERY BAD IDEA. If something bad happens at your haunt we all suffer.


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## BrotherMysterio (Nov 25, 2011)

Aquayne said:


> VERY BAD IDEA. If something bad happens at your haunt we all suffer.


Word. Just ask the management team of Six Flags from the early 80's.


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## walterb (Jul 27, 2010)

Fire was burning directly in a the glass container


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## walterb (Jul 27, 2010)

Colored fire at work


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## walterb (Jul 27, 2010)

It is a rocking awesome effect that is much cooler in actual glass versus a can


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## walterb (Jul 27, 2010)

It also takes some time to burn the fuel, so it is not a constant refuel


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## wandererrob (Aug 8, 2007)

I'm not afraid of fire used in a haunt as long as it's well away from TOTs. But in the photo above, are they walking between those? If so, that could end badly all too easily.


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## JustJimAZ (Aug 19, 2010)

Aquayne said:


> VERY BAD IDEA. If something bad happens at your haunt we all suffer.


Not sure exactly what haunt you are referring to?


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## BrotherMysterio (Nov 25, 2011)

JustJimAZ said:


> Not sure exactly what haunt you are referring to?


Depends on if you are talking about a pro haunt or a home haunt. If a pro haunt, an accident involving injury or loss of life of a customer would reverberate throughout the industry.

In a pro haunt, live fire is a serious liability, unless you have well controlled torches or pyrotechnics some 20'+ above and away from the patrons.


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## walterb (Jul 27, 2010)

There is a six foot gap between the planters. The planters are full of dirt. The planters weigh about 100 lbs each, so the risk of falling over is neglible. The house is an escorted walk thru. Less risk than an open BBQ pit.


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## Halloween_Anna (Dec 13, 2011)

I'm thinking little TOT's with fairy wings getting singed by the door....
but I have open flames in my haunt too. I have 10 tiki torches scattered around my yard, but they are well away from the TOT path and the trees. I found red glass torches at Wegmans one year, now I can find replacements on line. Also some plain victorian looking black metal ones. No wicker. I like the live flames, and it's part of my lighting. My yard is very dark - not much street lighting in my neighborhood.

didn't see it mentioned in the thread, but would cans of sterno work, except for the fact that they're not glass?


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## JustJimAZ (Aug 19, 2010)

This may scare you bloodless!




How To:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Camp-Fire-Tornado/


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## psyko99 (Jan 11, 2008)

I remember as a kid my father would buy stuff we would put on the fire to make different colored flames. They were sold commercially. I did a quick search and found a decent article that describes which compounds could be used:
http://www.sciencecompany.com/sci-exper/flamecolors.htm

I use several fire pits in my back yard during my Halloween party so I'm thinking of making some fire-logs to burn. Depending on my theme this year will determine the color I make.


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## JustJimAZ (Aug 19, 2010)

psyko99 said:


> I remember as a kid my father would buy stuff we would put on the fire to make different colored flames. They were sold commercially. I did a quick search and found a decent article that describes which compounds could be used:
> http://www.sciencecompany.com/sci-exper/flamecolors.htm
> 
> I use several fire pits in my back yard during my Halloween party so I'm thinking of making some fire-logs to burn. Depending on my theme this year will determine the color I make.


I have a container of those salts too. They make a cool fire in the old firepit!
Some are poisonous, so while I don't worry about that much (who stands around breathing smoke?), I don't let the kids roast marshmallows in the fire after I put the colors in.

The colors in Christmas wrapping paper also have these elements in them and burn prettily.


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