# Why do people hold their arms straight out when they go on fire?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-hold-their-arms-straight-out-when-they-go-on-fire/661556>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [June 21, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-hold-their-arms-straight-out-when-they-go-on-fire/661556 "2013-06-21T15:07:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-hold-their-arms-straight-out-when-they-go-on-fire/661556/21 "2013-06-22T18:44:20Z")

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> [@core\_dump](#):
>
> Why do people hold their arms straight out when they go on fire?

I have no idea why they do this, and frankly, it pisses me off.

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**Author:** ![core\_dump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@core\_dump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/core_dump)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-hold-their-arms-straight-out-when-they-go-on-fire/661556/22 "2013-06-22T19:51:18Z")

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> [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](#):
>
> Having been doused in gasoline and then catching fire, I can attest that the arms out front mummy walk is not natural, at least, not for me.

Wow, good story! I test for spark the same way all the time. Perhaps I should re-think that strategy. I knew there was a chance of a mini explosion but I never considered the possibility of catching oneself ablaze.

> [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](#):
>
> My guess is the

By the way your post was cut off. ^^ I hope you did not spontaneously combust mid-sentence?

You know, I’ve been comparing this flame walk to a mummy. It just occurred to me that mummies don’t even walk like that. Hell, they don’t walk at all. Perhaps the more interesting question is how did mummies come to be depicted as walking around “like mummies”? Too many Scooby Doo villans?

Same deal with sleepwalking. I’ve never seen a sleepwalker though, so maybe they _do_ walk like that. If I saw one I sure wouldn’t stick around to find out, I’d be out of there, Jack. Creepy. “Zoiks!”

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