Awesome Fire

Invented by Nikola Tesla, this ingenious type of valve uses a series of teardrop-shaped channels to restrict the flow of gases going one direction, by allowing smooth flow the other direction. NightHawkInLight built one such valve and demonstrates how it works by igniting propane gas flowing through it.

Juggler Dan Foley recently posted a video of himself tossing about three metal lawn chairs, each with its legs set ablaze. The clip caught the attention of the Ellen show, and they asked him to put together an “audition” clip before his appearance on the talk show. He did the stunt even better this time around.

YouTuber The S loves to make stuff from cardboard, and often incorporates matchsticks into his designs. In this clip, he compiles four builds which incorporate jet engines powered by numerous lit matches. While they don’t travel that fast, the fiery launches are quite the spectacle.

The image of fire that most of us have is the tip of a candle or a fireplace flickering, buy there are many other types of flame. Enjoy some variety in this clip from Yan Liang’s Envisioning Chemistry and Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s awesomely named Combustion Lab.

Add a touch of warmth to any space with this tabletop fireplace. The 5″ wide vessel is made from special heat-resistant cement, and uses rubbing alcohol to burn for up to 50 minutes at a time. Adjustable feet protect your furniture from its heat, and it’s even safe to cook over. (Must be 18+ to purchase)

The Slow Mo Guys performed a dangerous experiment, in which they tossed a flaming bucket of gasoline onto a sheet of glass to see how it spread. The resulting 4K visuals are spectacular, but under no circumstances should you try to replicate this at home.

Getting rid of weeds is a pain. Pluck them, and they come back. Kill them with chemicals, and the ground is poisoned for other plants. These organic corn farmers demonstrate a much more reliable, chemical-free, and downright spectacular method to clear the ground – FIRE!

Aerogel has some amazing properties. It’s insanely lightweight, and is an incredible insulator. Recently, Derek Muller of Veritasium put this to the test, by standing behind a blanket infused with silica aerogel being hit by a Boring Company Not a Flamethrower. Now we’d like to see the same test with a serious flamethrower.

Always be prepared with Überleben’s survival tool that can help you quickly start a fire. Its comprised of a mini ferrocerium (fire steel) rod and serrated ring scraper which can make flaming hot sparks in any weather or at any altitude. Comes with a 34″ paracord lanyard.

Ohio artist Melissa Crisp creates these incredibly cool steel fire pits which feature intricately cut scenes of nature. Each one creates a dramatic silhouette when a fire is lit. They’re built for wood, but can be converted to burn gas. We especially love the Phoenix Rising design.

Bring the warmth of the outdoors into any room with Domestic Objects‘ plush campfire. The 17-piece set includes three felt logs, nine squishy rocks, a colorful felt fire, and two oversize marshmallows on roasting sticks, packaged in a drawstring canvas bag. It may be designed for kids, but we think anyone can enjoy them.

If there was ever a build that required a “don’t try this at home” disclaimer, it has to be this insane portable fire vortex generator built by Jairus of All. It uses a series of powerful fans and ductwork to spew forth a giant swirling column of fire.

Give yourself a fighting chance of starting a fire when you’re out camping. This 4-piece kit packs an all-weather magnesium bar and friction tool for getting a clean spark, then gives it some extra oxygen with a collapsible bellows tube. You’ll also get an aluminum alloy whistle that can produce 120db, and a zippered carrying case.

The S created his version of the old grade school volcano science experiment, but replaced the baking soda and vinegar with matchsticks and fire, resulting in a dangerous and spectacular fireball. It goes without saying, but don’t try this at home.

For his latest video, The Q played with fire. He took the chemicals used to make matchstick heads and reconstituted them to make oversized versions. Then he erected gradually larger and larger sizes to set off a visually-impressive chain reaction. Things heat up around the 3:27 mark.

Offering up 18 times the blaze of this fiery experiment, the guys from Awesome Universe filled a tray with 90,000 individual matches, then set the whole mess on fire. They could have at least roasted some marshmallows over it before it burned out.

“Caution! Do not try it in the house.” The warning message from YouTuber The S is quite the understatement, as he shows us just what happens when you build a cannon entirely out of matches, fill its chamber with thousands of match heads, then light its fuse.

Bubble-blowing expert Dustin Skye shows off a really slick trick, in which he blows a soap bubble, fills it with butane, uses his breath to start a vortex, then lights it on fire, producing a tiny fire tornado. More here.

Steel wool is really useful for scrubbing and cleaning. But it’s also incredibly flammable. The guys from The King of Random decided to play with fire, and see how it might react if a lit piece of the shredded metal was dropped into a cup of styrofoam filled with liquid oxygen.

One of the worst things that a firefighter can encounter is a backdraft – which happens when a fire has almost exhausted all oxygen, and then a door or window is opened, causing a violent explosion. The Slow Mo Guys captured 4K footage of this terrifying phenomenon.

While fiery Norse ships are normally reserved for viking funerals, we’ll make an exception for this truly awesome handmade fire pit from sculptor Trevor McIntire of ImagineMetalArt. It’s made from 18 ga. sheet steel and measures about 39″ long x 16″ wide.

Pull Start Fire is designed to be stupidly easy to use. All you have to do is pile wood around it and pull its string. It works even in 200+ mph winds, light rain, and with wet wood. It burns for over 30 minutes, more than enough to get a fire going.

You can easily make a fire tornado. But if you don’t want to take the risk, Höfats’ Spin seems to be a great alternative. It uses bioethanol fuel for a nearly smokeless and odorless spinning flame. The optional base and pole provide a variety of display options.