From flamethrowers to full-body burns, for the past 20 years, Fire For Hire has been setting film and television scenes ablaze, pushing the limits with each new stunt they orchestrate.
“Sometimes I scratch my head and say, what do you want me to do? This is the dumbest idea, but let’s try it,” said co-founder Colin Decker.
Their fire gel, which allows safe naked burns, was a game-changer and has just earned them an Academy Award for Scientific and Technical Achievement.
“There were a bunch of fire gels on the market,” said co-founder Dustin Brooks. “A lot of it was big, bulky clothing to do a fire burn. Now we get to see people’s skin, see people’s faces, see them on fire.”
They can execute any scene thrown their way now, but the backyard was once a testing ground for different recipes to get it right after the two joined forces decades ago.
“All of a sudden, you can see people on fire, hands, arms, stomachs,” said Decker. “People acting, it’s not a mannequin. It was huge.”
Both Decker and Brooks are also stunt performers who have since mastered the choreography of some very intense scenes, leading to some unforgettable on-screen moments.
“We did Deadpool 2, and we set Anthony Moyer on fire, and he won a Taurus stunt award that year, for that stunt,” said Decker.
Fifty-two films and 76 TV series later, Fire For Hire is finally being honoured for its contributions to the industry.
“It means the world. Stunt people winning Academy Awards. That’s not something that happens,” said Decker.
“It’s been a dream and a goal. We’ve definitely pushed the boundaries and done things people couldn’t even imagine,” added Brooks.
“It’s been an amazing journey and tons of fun.”