Fire Art Guidelines

Bring Your Passion and Your Fire

Fire art is part of the essential fabric of Black Rock City, and to keep creating it, we need to do so safely. Whether you’re incorporating fire into your art installation, theme camp, mutant vehicle or performance, it’s essential that you don’t harm others or the playa. This section contains important information about creating fire art safely and exhibiting it on playa.

Thank you for taking the time to read this information thoroughly, and for wanting to create fire art for Burning Man. Now… let’s burn some stuff! Safely!

The burn of the Dreaming Goddess by David Bell

Creating Fire Art Safely

Fire is at the heart of the Burning Man event, and we encourage and support all types of safe fire art and pyrotechnic displays. Learn about the safe use of open fire, flame effects and pyrotechnics.

Guidelines

steel heart blasted with fire glows red-hot

Flame Effects

All flames that are automated, switched, or pressurized, as well as all projects using liquid or gaseous fuels

Pyrotechnics

The art, craft, and science of fireworks, which includes any explosive materials

A pyramid engulfed in flame with a person standing at the base

Open Fire

Any wooden or other solid fuel-based project that is set on fire, as large as the Temple or small as a burn caldron

Gina, the pink piano shaped mutant vehicle with flaming musical note on top.

Flame Effects on Mutant Vehicles

About the use of LP Gas Flame Effects on Mutant Vehicles

Seven streams of fire above large metal letters that spell "Boring"

Fire Guidelines in Camps

About the use of Flame Effects and Open Fire in camps

Fire Safety Agreements

Required Documents

Helpful Resources

Fuel and Hazardous Materials Storage

Safety Perimeters

Key Project Roles for Fire Art Projects

Leave No Trace

Leaving No Trace for Fire Artists

Aerial view of the ashes from the temple, raked into a spiral with artist seated in the center.

Burn Scar Prevention

How to Get Your Fire Art Approved

The Burning of The Man's Army is guarded by Fire volunteers

Approval Process for Fire Art

It is every artist’s responsibility to help Burning Man maintain our safety record, ensuring that we can all continue to use fire in the ways that make our event unique.