Call 911

[Fire Mecca]

I had an incident a couple of days ago that was life-threatening, but instructed someone not to call 911 when they asked. Long story short, I accidentally ingested a large amount of lamp oil while I was fire-breathing, and ended up with what amounted to poisoning. I was coughing all over the place, trying to drink water in between. My throat closed most of the way within the first one to two minutes, and I managed to keep breathing by tilting my head back, opening my posture, and relaxing. If my air passage had closed off much more, though, my friend would have been calling 911 anyway and performing a field tracheotomy.

So, make sure you and your safeties and friends know to call 911 and know when you are being stubborn. The consequence of guessing wrong on how bad something is isn't worth it.

[Calpe]

It's surprising that a large number of the reported deaths from poisoning in the US are caused by ingesting lamp oil, mostly in children and older adults. The most important first aid tip is to call 911 first and foremost, then do not make the person throw-up, this causes even further damage.

As fire dancers we use these fuels all the time, and often without thinking of the inherent danger involved in working with volatile fuels. Be careful, always mark your fuel containers clearly to protect others and yourself.