Awesome Fire

A matchstick seems like a simple little thing – a piece of wood dipped in flammable chemicals. But this video from Wow Things shows just how many steps it takes to turn timber into thousands of tiny sticks. Pakistan’s Kite Safety Match factory in uses a mix of humans and machines to produce matches and their packaging.

When you want to start a fire, it’s important that you have dry wood. Logs that have been sitting around and getting rained on are very difficult to keep lit. The Hydraulic Press Channel wanted to see if they could use mechanical force to extract enough water from damp timber that it would be dry enough to light.

The S has a thing for building matchstick-powered rocket engines. This time, their goal was to create two flame-shooting vehicles out of cardboard, then crash them head-on into each other to view the fiery wreckage. It took a few attempts to get them to launch at the same time, but the money shot was worth it.

Pit Command’s carbon steel fire tools are designed to help keep outdoor fires going. The three-in-one axes combine a chopping head for splitting burning wood, a serrated hook for rolling logs, and a poker for moving wood around. The 26″ long Ranger is for medium fire pits, while the 30″ long Commander helps with larger fires.

This video shows the kind of terrifying catastrophe that can happen in a metal factory. J.D. Christopher shared this footage of a fiery disaster on an aluminum extrusion line that he described accurately as opening “a portal to a demon dimension.” Fortunately, nobody was injured in the incident.

Chinese artist 超哥的烧火棍 aka “Super Brother’s Fire Stick” shows how he creates a mural using a flaming stick of wood as his medium. We’re assuming he moves quickly and frenetically so as not to burn himself. Be sure to watch until the end for the reveal.

Combining a fire pit and a barbecue grill, the Burch Barrel is a great upgrade for outdoor living. Its fire barrel can be smoke, flame, sear, and grill, and has adjustable vents, a lift system for easy access, and an adjustable fire pan for either wood or charcoal. Its adjustable tripod rig keeps the barrel level on uneven terrain.

Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale is a frequent subject of book burnings. Fighting back at such censorship, Penguin Random House created a unique fireproof edition of the classic novel, and let the beloved author hit it with a flamethrower. The unburnable book is up for auction with proceeds benefitting PEN America.

Modfire makes some really awesome modern fire pits and towers. Measuring 22″ tall, the Mini-Tiki is one of their small tabletop models, burning cans of clean ethanol fuel inside of its mouth. Makes a great centerpiece for any tiki lounge or any tropical-themed space.

This camping accessory belongs in every backpack. The Tindår combines an aluminum sleeve and a paraffin-infused rope that acts like an extended matchstick. It burns for up to an hour to help get your campfire started and keep it burning. The sleeve can be used to snuff the flame or as a mini-bellows with the wick removed.

We’re not sure what this compact German flamethrower was originally used for, but it is a fascinating bit of kit. When SlivkiShow got their hands on it, it was in pretty rough shape, but by the end of this video, it’s looking and working as well as it ever has.

Robert “Rocketman” Maddox is back with another crazy jet-powered vehicle which he hopes will be his fastest yet. The Dragon Kart 270-pound thrust engine lets out a bellow that’s sure to wake the neighbors. He’s yet to equip it with brakes or a seatbelt, but he still took the thing for a brief ride.

Builder Laura Kampf designed and created this dangerous but awesome looking machine which generates a huge stream of sparks for creating epic long-exposure photos. When she got stumped about the ignition system, she turned to her pal Adam Savage to help come up with a creative solution.

While its maker Imagine Metal Art doesn’t explicitly call this fiery tower Barad-dûr, it’s clear that it was inspired by The Lord of the Rings’ dark fortress and its watchful eye. This impressive 5-foot-tall steel fire pit breathes flames throughout and features The One Ring design at its base.

Exothermic Technologies’ handheld flamethrower can shoot a flame up to 25 feet with the push of a button. Its electric arc ignition lights up a stream of gasoline or a gas/diesel mix in an instant. Use it to start bonfires, clear unwanted weeds, wasp nests, or melt snow and ice. Check your local laws before buying.

This circular fire pit is perfect for people who like their outdoor spaces tidy. The 25″ diameter steel fire pit has an internal airflow system that improves the quality of fires and cuts down on smoke and ash. While it can burn traditional firewoods, it’s especially clean and efficient when used with Tiki’s wood pellet packs.

The 1984 version of Firestarter with Drew Barrymore is already quite good. But horror producer Blumhouse thinks it’s time to revisit the Steven King classic story about a little girl with pyrokinetic powers, and her struggles to control her abilities and focus them only on the bad guys. In theaters and streaming on Peacock 5.13.22.

The Q decided that ordinary matches weren’t big enough for him, so he went ahead and made five giant-sized matches out of wood, rope, and a homemade mix of incendiary chemicals like the ones on a real match head. To complete the set, he built a wooden matchbox with a sandpaper striker on its side.

Are you sick and tired of people driving too slow in the passing lane? Perhaps this will convince them to move over. This Russian mechanic modded a Lada, replacing its headlights with a pair of road-clearing flamethrowers. We can only hope that it’s operated by honking the horn.

Fire breathing is usually a solo endeavor, but not for these guys who turned it into a team activity. Derrick Vermin and his pals pulled off this amazing trick known as the Ascending Dragon, passing fire from one daredevil to another and climbing from the ground floor to the roof of a building.

These firestarter rods include a few bonus features which could come in handy in an emergency. In addition to a magnesium rod and striker tool, they’ve got a built-in compass and whistle, and come with a length of paracord. They come two to a pack, so you’ll always have a spare. Available in several colors, including glow-in-the-dark.

Gav from The Slow Mo Guys combined a mix of chemicals that burn in different colors then lit them in front of a circle of fans to create a fire tornado. The colorful plume of fire forms a surprisingly smooth gradient it rises from the barrel below. The top-down views are particularly captivating.

The S loves to build all kinds of things out of matchsticks, then light them on fire. In this clip, he built a cardboard model of a disc-shaped UFO, filled it up with 25,000 of the incendiary devices, then set them ablaze with awesome results. The spinning part of the lift-off was a nice touch.

Light fires quickly and consistently with Zippo’s compact butane torch. Its ignition starts reliably while a safety locking mechanism keeps kids out. Its variable output can produce soft yellow to blue flames at temperatures up to 2400ºF.

Inventor and maker Colin Furze has been making weapons and vehicles inspired by Far Cry 6. We’ve seen his fireworks backpack, now check out a backpack that belches huge plumes of fire to its sides. In the game, the so-called “Furiosa” backpack can also fly like a jet pack, though.

Is that little lighter in your pocket not doing a very good job getting the fire started? Check out the jumbo-sized 500,000 BTU lighter that BrainfooTV made. Since it’s more flamethrower than Bic lighter, we don’t recommend trying to light your cigarettes with it. Be sure to check out the build video.