Getting to Know Fire Performing Props

Olivia Morales with fire fans. (Photo by @nomotivphoto)

There may not be a lot of fire performers in the world, but there are plenty of other people who are interested in learning more about fire performers and their props! For those of you who fall into either category, look no further because I'm going to be introducing you to frequently-used props we fire performers use! These are also sometimes called flow toys. My specialty is fire breathing, but I use a wide variety of other props.

WARNING: All people pictured in these photos are trained professionals. Please do not purchase or handle fire or fire props unless supervised by a professional fire performer who has extensive knowledge of fire safety.

Basic Torches: These are torches with one-sided kevlar wicking used for fire breathing, fire eating, and fleshing. I have two different sets. The pair I use for fire breathing are solid and have a covered bottom of the handle so that fuel doesn't drip through. The pair I use for fire eating and vapor tricks on the other hand, are hollow so I can suck vapor into my mouth for vapor tricks. Fleshing is an introductory party trick where I put a small amount of fuel on a part of my body and briefly ignite it with a torch.

Olivia Morales fire eating. (Photo by @pinkneko89)

Fire Fans: Fire fans are more of an aesthetic prop for me because they end up looking really good in photos. Along with being a professional fire performer, I'm also a professional model of over ten years, so I go to a lot of networking photography meet-ups and modeling events, so I like to use these for stagnant posing. I do also use them as flow props during fire performances. Fire fans can have wicking ranging from on average three to six kevlar wicks, and fans usually have two types of handles, regular grips and Russian grips. Regular grip handles are smaller, usually ranging around 1 to 2 inches - just big enough to fit two fingers in the grip Russian grip handles are bigger, usually ranging around 2.5 to 3.5 inches - big enough for an entire hand to fit in the grip. There's both pros and cons to both grips, but it's ultimately whatever the fire performer using them feels comfortable with.

Olivia Morales posing with fire fans. (Photo by @portraitsofwill)

Rope Dart: This is definitely considered a flow-only prop and are typically used by more experienced fire performers because of how it is used. A rope dart is a large knotted kevlar wick connected to a long rope, which is usually nylon cord so it doesn't cause as many rope burns on the hands of the performers using the prop. How a rope dart works is the performer holds most rope part opposite of where the wick is in their dominant hand, and the rope part closer to the wick in their non-dominant hand. Using knowledge of physics and momentum, the performer will toss the wick around in coordinated movements.

Bart Rando practicing rope dart moves. (Photo by @beyond_the_lens_imagery)

Puppy Hammer: This prop is similar to the previously mentioned rope dart, except it has two knotted wicks on both sides of the rope. This is also used by more experienced fire performers due to how it is used and how it moves. (Also please don't ask me why this prop is called a puppy hammer, I honestly have no idea and am just as confused as you are.)

Vincent Ballesteros practicing with a puppy hammer. (Photo by @whatshisfacedo_other)

Contact Staff: A contact staff is a basic double-wicked fire staff. This is typically used for flow arts and is frequently used in coordination with martial arts moves. A lot of contact staffs come with detachable parts so it can also be turned into a different prop: a dragon staff, which I will be talking about next.

Olivia Morales holding a contact staff. (Photo by @nomotivphoto)

Dragon Staff: A dragon staff is basically a contact staff with different wicking attachments on the ends of the staff. A dragon staff moves differently than a regular contact staff because of the extra wicking and how it makes the staff weighted in a different way. Dragon staff and/or its attachments have wicking usually made between four or more kevlar wicks, it just depends on what the performer is comfortable with and how much fire they want.

Olivia Morales practicing dragon staff moves. (Photo by Bart Rando)

Palm Torches: I also consider these as more of an aesthetic prop for photos and modeling. But palm torches can also be used for slight, elegant flow. Palm torches typically come in pairs and have single kevlar wicks. The handles of palm torches can differ though. I have a customized handle that fits basically between my thumb and the rest of my hand. Other palm torches can have more of a grip handle that is a loop band connected to usually what looks like a small cup. Both grips have pros and cons, but it ultimately depends on what the performer is more comfortable using.

Olivia Morales holding palm torches. (Photo by @nomotivphoto)

Fire Swords: With fire swords depending on how its made, I also consider it mainly an aesthetic prop for modeling and photos. A fire sword is basically what it sounds like. There is extra long wicking for what is supposed to look like the blade part of the sword, and a generously sized handle for safety. There are different kinds of fire swords made of different materials. There are swords made for combat and non-combat. Combat meaning that the sword can be used to hit things without being damaged. (Also I do not recommend actually fighting with swords, combat or not.)

Olivia Morales holding a fire sword prop. (Photo by @enygmaphotog)

Fire Hoop: A fire hoop can also double as just a regular hula hoop. This is a hoop with usually about 4 to 5 kevlar wicks screwed into the hoop, facing outward. Most fire hoops have removable wicks so the hoop can be more versatile for both fire performing and just regular flow play. Fire hoops can be used as a flow prop or just an aesthetic prop just like fire fans, as previously mentioned.

Olivia Morales practicing with a fire hoop. (Photo by @la.sinizter_66)

Levitation Wand: This prop is a good beginner prop for those just starting to get into fire performing. There are still risks while using this prop (because it's on fire, obviously) but levitation wands come in a variety of sizes and can be practiced with at a significant distance away from the user's body. Levitation wands are a small double-wicked torch with a cord with a finger strap attached to the top. The user puts the finger strap on their middle finger and they are able to spin the wand at an angle to where it looks like it's levitating - hence the name levitation wand. 

Jessica Raylene practicing with a levitation wand. (Photo by Vincent Ballesteros)

There is also a lot more that goes into selecting props and how they're made. I talked about kevlar material, wicking, grips for props a little bit, but I didn't want to give too much information that might overwhelm those who just want to learn the basics of these props. Long story short, there are different kinds and sizes of kevlar wicking and there are different materials used to make props.

There are also lots of props I have not included such as poi and double staffs since I do not own those props at the moment. There are also other props I haven't mentioned because a lot of fire performers will make their own props and don't necessarily have a name for them. For example, Rando has made his own prop which is a mix of a fire breathing torch and a rope dart. Another friend of mine has made a prop that is a baseball bat with kevlar wicking on the top, which makes amazing photos when titanium powder is added and the bat hits something!

 Also a little extra treat for those interested: here's a video I made for a previous video editing class about fire performing. (I apologize in advance, it's super goofy and not the best quality.)

I hope you all enjoyed reading about fire performing props as much as I enjoy sharing about them!