r/poi • u/Aware-Chance-370 • 3d ago
Putting out fire
So I've wanted to try fire spinning with my pois but I'm not sure how to put them out after. Is water enough and won't do any damage to them? Please help
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u/Bhaldavin 3d ago
They will consume all the fuel and go out themselves usually. If you need to put them out before then, you usually put them on the ground and smother the fire with a fire blanket.
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u/knowitall-princess 3d ago
I want to mention although this is true. Someone new may be overwhelmed by their prop and may not feel like spinning it all the way through, new props can burn for a long time! So knowing how to extinguish them and having a safety blanket for that is so definitly important. :)
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u/elisauruseatsatrex 3d ago
What’s everyone said is true. But also, towards the end of a burn -usually when one keeps on going out and the other is straggling along.
I just spin them fast and hard a few times and they go out.
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u/redraven Flow Hippie 3d ago
I've stopped doing this after several props broke on me and almost burned people. Now I really advise against it.
You can blow out the fire when it's small. But really don't do this.
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u/AreasonableAmerican 3d ago
If your prop broke on you going fast, get a prop by a reputable manufacturer. No fire prop should come even close to breaking from fast spinning.
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u/redraven Flow Hippie 3d ago
They shouldn't. They do. I've had enough bad experience to add this to my safety list.
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u/acrobaticjuggler 3d ago
If it's working for you I guess that's working for you, but I would absolutely rather replace or reinforce props that were coming apart before myself. My reasoning: I do choreographed performances and one of the most important parts of the choreography is the extinguish. Fire props look most impressive at the beginning when the fire is big and get less impressive as you go, that's why a showy extinguish is especially important. Waiting for each prop to go out would be really anticlimactic. I even make a point to do a different type of extinguish for each prop.
The one exception I could see is placing your props on the ground to sort of light/set the stage and light your next prop off of which is something I don't depend on because a lot of times I don't know for sure what sort of setting I'm going to get and if this will be safe to do for the surface I'm on.
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u/firespoidanceparty 3d ago
The two best options are to either spin until they go out or smother them in a fire blanket. There are videos on YouTube about how to do it properly.
Secondly, always have a safety. Catching yourself on fire is no Bueno. Enjoy!
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u/mrlowcut 3d ago
I always used a thick cloth doused in water, prepared before I play. I always carried a bottle of 1.5l of water with me when we burned. Always served me well.
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u/FlowZenMaster 3d ago
If you're serious about spinning fire you should be serious about fire safety. If you're serious about fire safety then this blanket is the best out there. Even better you are supporting a small business ran by some of the best people out there 🙌
https://www.flow-dragons.com/product-page/aramid-fire-safety-blanket
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u/traztx Flow Hippie 3d ago
Usually, I dance till the fuel is spent, to where the flames are bluish not bright, and then a sudden fast spin puts them out.
Sometimes I do the above, but instead of fast spin, I stall one above my face, and get close, and blow hard and sudden to put it out. Repeat for the other.
After they are out, I then dip them in fuel to stop them from smouldering. The sound of that seems satisfying.
Mine are 3 inch monkey fist, so they don't last as long as larger props, so smothering in a blanket is not something I do.
However, as a safety, it's not uncommon for someone to want me to set the blanket down. Then they lay the props on the blanket and I fold it over them and wait a little bit. If you fold the blanket over and then open as soon as you don't see flames then they may flare up again, so give it a moment to ensure they are out.
Putting poi in water is not a good idea. It takes a long time for them to dry out and work again. This is something we find out when forgetting them out in the rain at camping events.
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u/Iwaspromisedcookies 3d ago
They go out on their own, if you use lamp oil they will go for a really long time, but with white gas it’s never so long that you want to extinguish them
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u/okay-boomerang 3d ago
Choke the flame in a fire blanket as others have mentioned! Have whoever’s watching you (you should have a safety) hold the blanket down with two hands by the edge. Depending on how much fuel is left/how strong the fire is, put one or both poi onto the blanket. Have the person immediately fold the blanket over the poi, and then fold it again perpendicular. Choke it till it’s out, it shouldn’t take too long. You may get some fire spitting out the side if you just do the one fold! But even that is pretty safe. If you only did one poi to start with, make sure it’s out and then do the other :)
My college’s fire spinning group uses fire-retardant black duvetyne. Even if you plan to burn until you run out of fuel. It’s good to have one around in case you need to stop early for whatever reason.
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u/knowitall-princess 3d ago
You can buy duvatyne it’s a cloth specific to putting out fire props. You can smother the prop without the cloth catching on fire. I’d recommend that over any other method.
A wet towel works too to smother the flames without the towel catching, but I still highly recomend you buy a duvetyne.
Also please wear natural fibers such as cotton and bamboo these fibers take longer to ignite than synthetic fibers and unlike synthetic fibers such as polyester will not melt to your skin.
Do not use hairspray or other hair products that could be highly flamible! And especially with poi putting hair in a hat is nice.
And lastly, have someone safety you. Usualky this is someone standing near or holding the duvetyne ready to extinguish your prop when you are ready, tell you if you have had any fire transfer to your clothing or extinguish any fire on you that is out of control…. I don’t know your experiance level so I wanted to give you a full safety rundown.
Feel free to message me with any questions.