How to Breathe Fire How Fire-Breathing Works

Firebreathing involves breathing a fine mist of fuel over an open flame to form a fireball. Its playing with fire in a big way, so there are obvious risks involved. Its adult-supervision-only time. Never attempt fire-breathing with a flammable fuel because this carries a risk of the fire traveling back to you and setting you on fire. Additionally, most flammable fuels are toxic. Heres how to breathe fire with a nontoxic, nonflammable fuel. Do this project outdoors, not because of the risk of a fire but because youre going to make a big mess with the fuel, which is cornstarch. A video tutorial of this project is available if you would like to see what to expect. Firebreathing Materials Large container of cornstarchLarge spoonLarge glass of waterLarge flame How to Breathe Fire Fill your mouth with a big scoop of cornstarch. Do not breathe in any of the cornstarch.  The biggest risk from this project is inhaling cornstarch, which could damage your lungs (like any fine powder). Laughing is your biggest threat here. The cornstarch doesnt have a bad taste, but the texture is very unpleasant.Blow the cornstarch out over a large flame. There is a trick to this: Try to whistle out the cornstarch. Its easy to blow out a candle or lighter, plus it puts your hand in harms way. Use a big burning piece of cardboard. You could blow the starch over a campfire, but be careful not to blow it toward anyone or anything that might catch fire.Repeat as desired and then swish the water around in your mouth. Spit it out and repeat to clean your mouth. The big advantage of using cornstarch over flour (which would also work) is that the cornstarch rinses out pretty easily. How It Works A mass of cornstarch will not easily burn (try it), but when you disperse the starch into a fine powder you can ignite it as a fuel. Starch, like sugar or flour, is a carbohydrate and can be burned. In fact, the dust burns instantly. If youve heard of a grain elevator explosion, this is the most common cause. A much smaller quantity of starch is used for this firebreathing trick. Disclaimer: Please be advised that the content provided by our website is for EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. Fireworks and the chemicals contained within them are dangerous and should always be handled with care and used with common sense. By using this website you acknowledge that ThoughtCo., its parent About, Inc. (a/k/a Dotdash), and IAC/InterActive Corp. shall have no liability for any damages, injuries, or other legal matters caused by your use of fireworks or the knowledge or application of the information on this website. The providers of this content specifically do not condone using fireworks for disruptive, unsafe, illegal, or destructive purposes. You are responsible for following all applicable laws before using or applying the information provided on this website.