Fire breathing is the act of creating a fireball by breathing a fine mist of fuel over an open flame. Proper technique and the correct fuel create the illusion of danger to enhance the novelty of fire breathing, while reducing the risk to health and safety. When using the correct fuel, it will only light when sprayed into a fine mist increasing the surface area of the fuel so that the fuel/oxygen/heat ratio is balanced enough to cause combustion. Performing with fire has many inherent risks. Having an actively spotting trained safety assistant with an appropriate fire blanket and fire extinguisher is an appropriate best practice when fire breathing and is a mandatory clause in most insurance policies for professional fire breathers.

Fire breathing is often confused with fire eating but it is clear from the photos that fire breathing is a more spectacular fire skill but also more dangerous. It requires a significant amount of space to perform. It is always combined with other fire skills in a fire performance because a fire performer cannot fire breathe continually. Fire breathing is instead a very spectacular finale to a fire show or juggling show.