When a flintlock fires, super heated gasses are expelled at high pressure from the vent hole. I once was shooting my 58 flintlock and placed my left hand flat against a wall. I then layed the rifle across my left forearm and fired. The vent was only 6-8 inches from the vent. The ending result was a badly burned hand and a permanent tatoo on the back side of my left hand where bits of powder blasted through my skin. Looked like I had been shot with #6 shot. There is no doubt in my mind that it can andwill ignite any combustable material.

Another thing to seriously think about is thatany bystander standing too close to the vent side of the rifle can be badly injuried.