Katherine and I checked out some of Ottawa's Winterlude festivities. This is what we chanced upon in the evening. As I was watching, I was wondering if it was just whiskey that they were blowing out of their mouth so I checked what it was when I got home.
From fire breathing at wikipedia:
Fuel Risks
Ethanol can be absorbed into the blood stream without drinking it. Thus attempting fire breathing with ethanol can cause intoxication.
Methanol (used with many colored flame recipes) has a variety of entry vectors and can cause blindness or neurological disorders.
Very low flash point fuels like Naphtha, Butane, and Propane can create a condensed vapor build up in the oral cavity leading to internal combustion, damaging the mouth or lungs. Naphtha also is quite carcinogenic, and performance careers built on using it lead to a high risk of mouth cancer.
Common fuels like Gasoline and Kerosene often contain carcinogenic additives or refining by-products, such as sulfurated compounds, or benzenes. Outside the US, many fuel oils, even some specifically targeted for fire breathers, contain even higher percentage of these chemicals.
Ultra pure lamp oil mist inhalation can cause a headache, sinus infection, and chemical pneumonia. If a large enough amount is swallowed it can also cause vomiting, diarrhea, and vitamin deficiency.
Reading and understanding the Material safety data sheet for the performer's chosen fuel is recommended.
