Zippo extinguishes flaming trick Web site

Zippo - the lighter people, not the clown - has extinguished a Web site that promoted tricks using its cigarette lighters.

The company had come under increasing pressure over recent months to pull the site, which featured more than 570 different tricks that can be done with a flaming Zippo.

In July, the US' National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) urged Zippo to pull the plug on zippotricks.com, marketing campaign and tour.

At the time James M Shannon, NFPA president, said: "Zippo's nightclub tour and 'tricks' Web site are dangerous and insensitive to those who have been burned by fire. We have called upon Zippo to take down the site and asked them to reconsider their nightclub tour. We hope the public does the same."

Some of the tricks featured on the site included the curiously-named "Dante's Halo", "Uh Oh, Dragon Mouth" and "Devil's Kiss".

One piece of streaming video showed "Hogan's Leg Drop" whereby a lighter is tossed on a leg and ignited.

In a statement from site founder Morten Kjolberg: "For the past couple of months zippotricks.com has been under tremendous scrutiny from various US groups, organizations and even political figures concerning the potential dangers involved with tricking.

"Although I personally don't agree with these concerns, we have reached a point where we are left with no other alternative other than to shut zippotricks.com down, effective immediately."

A disclaimer on the site had read: "Performing tricks is dangerous. A lighted lighter is hot and can start a fire or burn people." ®