No Rules, No Winners: Inside El Salvador’s Absurd Fireball Festival

You can’t get much closer to Hell on Earth than a volcanic eruption. God’s most forbidden kettle, these spouts of molten rock have obliterated communities and reshaped landforms all over the world. In turn, they command a large amount of respect and ritual.

In East Java, Indonesia, the Hindu Tenggerese people make offerings to Mount Bromo as part of the month-long Yadnya Kasada festival. In Santorini, the Ifestia Festival pays homage to the volcanic eruptions that formed the island with music and a massive fireworks display.

Meanwhile, in El Salvador, the small town of Nejapa commemorates the 1917 eruption of the nearby San Salvador volcano with an annual event where people gather in the streets to hurl balls of fire at each other. Each to their own.

In a new documentary, VICE takes you inside El Salvador’s Fireball Festival to witness the battle firsthand. Why do the people of this town gather each year to throw flaming debris at each other? What inspires one of the most surreal and extreme traditions on Earth?

Find out by watching below or at the VICE YouTube channel.