30-04-2025
B.C. fire-stunt shop celebrates Academy Award win
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.
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'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.'
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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.
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'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.
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'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.
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'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.'
