Firesafety Instructions Clothing for fire play

Safety first What to wear when performing with fire

When performing with fire, it is important to know a few things about the clothing that is worn. The list below is intended to give an overview of the essential materials and an assessment of their usability.

Please note: The list has been compiled on the basis of web research and all information is therefore subject to change. All fire players are required to carry out their own fire tests with their clothing and materials before using them on a Firespace.

Materials which have been rated as unsuitable in the list should not be worn on the Firespace for your own safety. Organizers must decide for themselves to what extent fire players with unsuitable clothing may play on their Firespaces.

You can download the list as PDF here.

Material List

Material	Melting point (ca.)	Flashpoint(ca.)	Evaluation	Reasoning	Extinguish instructions
Cotton	Burns at ca. 255 °C	Ignites at ca. 210°C	Suitable	Burns without melting, slower ignition.	Can burn for some time; douse with water or use fire extinguisher.
Wool	Does not melt, carbonizes	Self-extinguishing atca. 600°C-800°C	Suitable	Flame retardant, good insulation against heat.	Afterglow possible; smothers the fire or cools the material quickly.
Viscose	Burns without melting	Ignites at ca. 450-470°C	Limited suitability	Burns quickly and may continue to smolder, but less risk of melting.	Can be difficult to extinguish once ignited; use water or fire extinguisher to act quickly.
Leather	Does not melt, carbonizes	Variance depending on treatment, flame resistant	Suitable	High heat resistance, provides good protection against heat and sparks.	Chars only, no melting; usually no after-burning, but monitoring required.
Silk	Burns at ca. 300 °C	Ignites at ca. 170°C	Limited suitability	Burns rather than melts, but can stick to skin.	Continued burning possible; extinguish completely and allow to cool.
Kevlar	Disintegrates at ca. 450–500 °C	No defined flash point, difficult to ignite.	Very Suitable	Specially formulated to be fire resistant, it does not easily catch fire or melt.	Self-extinguishing properties; monitoring for heat residues after extinguishing recommended.
Polyester	Melts at ca. 252-292 °C	Ignites at ca. 432-488°C	Not Suitable	Melts and may drip, causing injury.	Dripping melt can continue to burn; fight with non-water based fire extinguisher and ensure cooling.
Nylon	Melts at ca. 190-260 °C	Ignites at ca. 530-560°C	Not Suitable	May melt on contact with fire, causing severe burns.	It melts in the event of fire and may stick to the skin; extinguish quickly and avoid skin contact.
Acryl	Melts at ca. 240 °C	Ignites at ca. 300°C	Not Suitable	Highly flammable and melts, increased risk of burns.	Can continue to burn after being extinguished; treat immediately with plenty of water or a fire extinguisher.
Spandex	Melts at ca. 250 °C	Ignites at temperatures that are not precisely defined, but at lower temperatures than cotton	Not Suitable	Expands and melts when exposed to flames, unsafe for fire displays.	Quick action required to prevent melting; use water or fire extinguisher.
Rayon	Melts at ca. 220-240 °C	Ignites at ca. 420-430°C	Not Suitable	Tends to melt and is flammable, increasing the risk of burns.	Difficult to extinguish once ignited; requires immediate removal and cooling of the material.