The Ion flamethrower is powered by a fuel can that’s attached directly to the device.Īre flamethrowers legal? A spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it doesn’t regulate them because they are not guns. How do they work? Throwflame’s fire comes from a hose connected to a backpack with a tank of fuel. They said farmers can use them to clear fields by burning unwanted brush, and fire departments can use them for controlled burns, to try and prevent accidental forest fires or to stop them from spreading. The flamethrowers do have practical uses, both companies told CNNMoney. But Ion notes on its website that the flamethrower “may result in injury or even death.” Impress the neighbors at the BBQ,” said Throwflame founder Quinn Whitehead.īoth Whitehead and Ion CEO Chris Byars said their flamethrowers have caused no injuries, and safety is a priority. “We always have the people who just want it for fun. The flamethrowers are marketed not as weapons, but as fun devices.

Both companies started selling them this year. Another company, Ion Productions Team of Detroit, is selling $900 flamethrowers that can eject flames for 25 feet.

military stopped using them after Vietnam.īut as crazy as it may sound, they are available for sale to the public.Ī Cleveland startup called Throwflame is selling flamethrowers for $1,599 that can shoot fire for 50 feet. NEW YORK - Flamethrowers were gruesome weapons of war and so controversial that the U.S.

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