HOW FLAMETHROWERS WORK
These tools that hurl plumes of fire through the air were originally weapons of war
WORDS SCOTT DUTFIELD
© Alamy / Getty / Illustration by Adrian Mann
Different forms of flamethrowers have existed for thousands of years, but the first handheld flamethrowers emerged during World War I. A creation of the German army, early handheld flamethrowers consisted of backpack-style fuel tanks with gun-like nozzles that, when ignited, released a torrent of flame towards their enemies. Used again in World War II and the Vietnam War as incendiary weapons, it wasn’t until 1980 that their use was restricted under Protocol III of the Geneva Convention. Today the main role of flamethrowers lies in land management, such as eradicating invasive plant species, clearing croplands and burning land to recycle nutrients.