Next year sell tickets for a chance to operate a flamethrower.
Via BI:
Leave it to the Marines to turn a annual fire safety demonstration into a fun-filled flamethrower festival.
Their annual Christmas tree bonfire is yearly event that was started by the Parris Island Fire Department to educate the public about the dangers of a dry Christmas tree, which is highly flammable, 1st Lt. Bryan McDonnell, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island spokesman told Business Insider.
The Marines then added a flamethrower, excitedly pulling a World War II-era weapon out of the museum.
The flamethrower used at the annual Christmas tree bonfire is an actual Marine-issued M2 flamethrower maintained by the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island Command Museum, Mr. Eric Junger, G3 Curriculum Department, told BI.
The M2, an iconic weapon for Marines storming islands in the Pacific during the World War II, “is the most successful and longest serving model of flamethrower ever produced,” he explained. It could effectively pour flame on targets 20-40 meters away.
The weapon used in the tree-scorching was only slightly modified for convenience and safety.
A handheld propane torch was added as the ignition source to ensure constant ignition, as the original igniters are old, temperamental, and ridiculously expensive. And the fuel is diesel, not napalm.