Greenwolf
In fact they are sizzling!
Will his plans to stage a daring escape at an Ansonia renaissance fair next month result in a blaze of glory? Or will the stunt will go up in smoke?
GreenWolf is waiting to see if state officials pour cold water on his plans to escape from ropes and chains atop a burning stake at the Midsummer Fantasy Renaissance Faire 8:30 p.m. Friday, June 23 in Warsaw Park.
Click here for tickets. It’s practically a fire sale!
The 27-year-old magician’s announcement Wednesday about the stunt sparked the interest of many.
Ansonia officials want to make sure the stunt doesn’t go over like a lead balloon.
Fire Marshal Ray Tingley said Thursday that he put a call into the state fire marshal’s office to see whether the planned performance falls under the state’s fireworks and special effects code.
If it does, GreenWolf would have to obtain a special permit to stage the performance lest his feat be snuffed out.
“Until the determination is made as to what it is, we can’t really do too much with it,” Tingley said.
Tingley wasn’t sure how long he’d have to wait for that decision. He said he spoke with GreenWolf Thursday and told him to ask state officials for guidance directly.
GreenWolf said via e‑mail Thursday that he had cleared the idea with the state fire marshal.
A message was left Thursday at the state fire marshal’s office asking if officials there would extinguish the planned burning.
Trooper Kelly Grant, a state police spokesman, said Thursday afternoon that GreenWolf’s performance probably wouldn’t be an issue, but she was waiting to hear from the state fire marshal before saying for sure.
Kevin Blake, Ansonia’s corporation counsel, said city doesn’t have a horse in this race because Warsaw Park is private property.
Still, Blake said that every year the fire marshal, police, and zoning officials review the fair’s plans to smoke out any potential problems.
GreenWolf's motto -- Magic! Comedy! Possible Death!
“If it’s not covered under the special effects, then there’s not too much we can do,” Tingley said. “It sounds like they’re taking precautions, but we may put some additional resources up there to make sure things don’t go awry.”
Earlier Thursday, GreenWolf said that city officials have been “absolutely wonderful” to deal with in past years — he’s the general manager of the fair at which the stake-burning is planned — and that he isn’t too worried about getting any necessary approvals.
“It’s one of those things where I’m certain as soon as I talk to them it’ll be OK,” GreenWolf said. “I’m confident in the next couple of days we’ll have it all set.”
He said he doesn’t think he’ll have to obtain a state permit since the plans won’t involve special pyrotechnics.
“It’s basically the equivalent of a big bonfire,” he said. “There’s no special accelerants or anything like that. It’s stuff you can buy at Wal-Mart.”
The event is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. June 23 at Ansonia’s Warsaw Park. Tickets for the festival range from $6 to $16. Kids under 5 get in for free.
