During one performance of A Christmas Carol in college the pyro guy lost his lighter for the sparkle effect for the coming of Christmas-Past. The ASM got off headsets to run and get the pyro-guy another lighter. In the mean time the stage left crew chief got off head set prior to the ASM to find a lighter. The Pyro guy got the lighter and the effects off on cue. The prepackaged pyro effects went off, but they shot at angle less than 90 degrees and towards some scenery. These packages were self contained and looked like a C or D sized engine for a toy rocket. Well the soft-covered flat did not catch fire, and was only a little scorched. The fake snow material caught fire. So there I was in the booth with watching this growing red glow on stage. My Spot-Op says, “Speez, I think there is a fire over the headset.” I call down to the back stage people over the headset and get no response. The glowing red dot grew larger. The Pyro-Guy left told me he was going to run and take care of it, but his travel distance to the now small fire was 200 feet, visual distance of like 30 feet from the stage left caliper. All the time the actors are continuing with the scene completely unaware or working past the red glow turned small flame. Flame size of about 4 inches from my point of view. Unbeknownst to me some of the Crachit children were playing with one of the abandoned headsets back stage, and had heard that chatter about the fire. The little darling had run to the changing rooms all excited about the fire. Then there was another poof, and the fire caught the rest of the fake snow material. All the time I am leaning on the call button. When I saw the third flare up I counted to ten and brought up the house lights.
When the house lights went up the actors stopped and then took notice to the fire. Well another member of the theater faculty, who was not part of the production, jumps up and tries to start an evacuation while the house manager had already took a position center stage. With in a minute of the house lights being up the ASM and stage left crew chief had the fire out.
After the production the production manager came in a “interrogated” each member of the crew individually and the theater department had a whole meeting about the incident.
When the house lights went up the actors stopped and then took notice to the fire. Well another member of the theater faculty, who was not part of the production, jumps up and tries to start an evacuation while the house manager had already took a position center stage. With in a minute of the house lights being up the ASM and stage left crew chief had the fire out.
After the production the production manager came in a “interrogated” each member of the crew individually and the theater department had a whole meeting about the incident.