How God men and other people walk on fire without getting burnt

Some people walk on fire without getting burnt. How do they do it?  Are there any miracles involved?

No, is the answer. It just is plain science. Let me explain. 

We need to closely look at several facts that make it possible to walk on a bed of hot embers without sustaining serious burns or injuries. Firstly, the firewalkers light the fire with charcoal well ahead of time and let it burn down to non-flaming coals. Therefore, it must be noted that they are actually walking on embers, and not fire, per se.

Secondly, the hardwood and charcoal that are both typically used in such firewalking events are found to be a good thermal insulator. Wood continues to be a good insulator, even when on fire, and charcoal is roughly four times better as an insulator than dry hardwood.

The third thing is that the walking path of the firewalkers is often covered with ash. In bright daylight, this ash layer is clearly visible, but as most of the firewalk events are performed at night, these ashes appear to glow like fire. Ash is also a poor conductor of heat and helps in slowing down the heat transfer from the coal blocks to the feet.

The fourth important factor to consider is the length of time that the person’s foot is in contact with the embers. However, this doesn’t imply that you need to run to reduce the contact time; doing that may actually push the feet deeper into the embers, resulting in a burn on the top of the foot. The trick lies in taking a fluent brisk walk—with each step taking less than half a second of contact with the charcoal. During a 10-15 feet firewalk run, each foot will be in contact with the embers for a total time of only a few seconds.

Firewalking can still be dangerous if done without proper care and technique. Sometimes, a hot ember can cling to your feet and cause a severe burn. Even more dangerous is the risk of tripping and falling onto the hot pieces of ember, which can be extremely painful, and even fatal!