The ‘Human Firecracker’ Is Just Plain Awesome, Though Also Equally Crazy!

Most Americans prefer to wait until the Fourth of July to set off sparklers, fountains, helicopters, cakes, shells, mortars, parachutes, bottle rockets, and, of course, firecrackers. Not Michigan resident John Fletcher. According to The Huffington Post, the self-dubbed “Ghengis John the Human Firecracker” frequently straps thousands of firecrackers around his body and sets them off. BOOM!

Have no fear, because the “Human Firecracker” knows exactly what he’s doing. The Wall Street Journal reports that Fletcher originally started performing with fireworks after he kicked his cocaine and alcohol habits in the late 90s. Over time, fireworks in effect became his new addiction:

“I guess my firecracker suit is my drug, and it’s a drug I can do that’s going to help people.”

Indeed. While the “Human Firecracker” charges onlookers nothing to watch him basically put his life at grave risk for their entertainment benefit, he does urge onlookers to donate to charities like Cell Phones for Soldiers and the Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan.

Noble, yes? The nobility of his actions seem even more pronounced once you realize that, according to Detroit News, Fletcher has blasted over 600,000 firecrackers off his body over the course of the past 16 years. The most he ever set off at one time was 16,280. Can you imagine that? Actually, can you imagine just setting 10 firecrackers off your body!?

Mind you, everything hasn’t exactly been all hunky dory for the “Human Firecracker.” He has been bruised and burned, and he’s also fractured his ribs numerous times. One performance even knocked him unconscious, though it certainly did not knock any sense in the ol’ daredevil.

The fact is that Fletcher acquired a love for fireworks long, long ago. As a child, he once let a firecracker explode in his hand just to see what it would feel like. Not surprisingly, it stung like hell, though it did not sting strong enough to dissuade him from eventually lighting thousands of the things off his body — an experience he describes as feeling “like a hundred midgets hitting you with baseball bats.”

The bad news is that he plans to retire very soon. The good news is that he has threatened to do this many times before. So why does the “Human Firecracker” continue to engage in this extraordinarily risky behavior? We’ll let him tell you for himself:

“I guess I’m a little nuts.”

Ain’t that the truth! Regardless, if you want to see one of the “Human Firecracker’s” earlier performances from previous years, check the amazing video below:

[Image via Google Images]