Elon Musk's flamethrower may be a bad idea, but it's perfectly legal
Generally, flamethrowers are legal.
Just as Elon Musk has incited enthusiasm, discourse, and frustration about the realities of colonizing Mars, he has successfully done something similar for flamethrowers. His tunneling company, The Boring Company, sold 20,000 flamethrowers this week and is now sold out of the $500 flame igniters.
A flamethrower generally refers to a stream of fire emitted from some sort of torch-like contraption -- not actual balls of fire being hurled or thrown into the air. Elon Musk's flamethrower, for instance, produces a stream of fire that looks to be a foot or so in length -- although flamethrowers can certainly produce longer flames.
While it would be difficult to irrefutably establish that flamethrowers are legal everywhere in the U.S., there seems to be very little outright prohibition on flamethrowers, although some states regulate them.
A Boring Company representative, for instance, underscored to Mashable that flamethrowers are indeed legal in the state of California, as long as the flames are kept under 10 feet.
And devices that produce flames over 10 feet in California still appear to be legal -- they just require a permit, as written in California Health and Safety Cody 12750.
Flame-producing devices can even be purchased on Amazon. The company Red Dragon sells a "vapor torch kit" for around $295. It behaves very similar to The Boring Company's space gun-like offering, but carries way more fuel (you wear a large propane canister on your back). Its advertised uses include flaming weeds and thawing pipes.
And this seems to be why flamethrowers are legal: They have legitimate uses. Sure, they can certainly be abused or used violently -- but so can chainsaws.
Elon Musk isn't the only recent flamethrower entrepreneur in the U.S. The Ion Productions Team, located in Phoenix, Arizona, built a handheld flamethrower that has thirty feet of range. The device is called the XM42-M, and the company notes that it sells a "CA Legal Version." These flamethrowers -- which frankly make Musk's flames look puny -- can be purchased online.
In summary, it appears flamethrowers are legal in the United States, though they might be regulated in certain states, like California. There also might be certain cities or counties that have specific ordinances outlawing flamethrowing devices, but Mashable did not confirm any such laws [see update below].
After all, it would almost unjust to restrict someone's ability to use a flaming device to thaw their pipes, removal weeds, or show off their sweet flamethrower.
Post Update Feb. 2, 2018 at 5:00 p.m.:
The Los Angeles Fire Department provided this statement about the sale and use of flamethrowers in Los Angeles:
The sale and operation of [a] flame thrower within the Municipality of the City of Los Angeles is unlawful.
Additionally, the LAFD cited specific language in their fire code:
308.7.1 Sale of flame throwers. No person shall sell or offer for sale, or rent or offer for rent, or use, operate, demonstrate, or discharge any flame thrower anywhere or at anytime within the Municipality, except as approved by the Chief.
Topics Elon Musk
Mark was the science editor at Mashable. After working as a ranger with the National Park Service, he started a reporting career after seeing the extraordinary value in educating people about the happenings on Earth, and beyond.
He's descended 2,500 feet into the ocean depths in search of the sixgill shark, ventured into the halls of top R&D laboratories, and interviewed some of the most fascinating scientists in the world.
