Tultepec, a town where fire is not just an element but a way of life, becomes an inferno of devotion every March 8. Known as the capital of fireworks, this small Mexican town erupts in a spectacle that blends faith, artistry, and unyielding courage. The celebration honors San Juan de Dios, the patron saint of fireworks, and Huehueteotl, the ancient god of fire. For the people of Tultepec, fire is more than something to be controlled; it is something to be embraced, lived, and celebrated.

Few understand this fiery devotion as intimately as Antonio Flores, a photographer who has spent years capturing the ritualistic beauty of this annual event. Known as the ‘Photographer of Hell,’ Flores places himself at the very heart of the flames, documenting a tradition where fire is both a force of destruction and a testament to faith. His images reveal a world often misunderstood—a world where chaos and celebration intertwine, and where people dance fearlessly beneath towering burning structures, risking everything to uphold their ancestral customs.

Flores shares: “Every March 8 in Tultepec, the capital of fireworks and home of the masters and warriors of fire, the patron saint of fireworks, San Juan de Dios, and the ancestral god of fire, Huehueteotl, are celebrated. People spend weeks or months working on their bull that will be burned as part of the devotional offering of fire, blood, and fireworks as proof of their faith and bravery. And that is how that night becomes the same hell on earth where thousands of people dance the dance of fire around and under the fire, colossal bulls and sparks that become stars, becoming for a few moments a party in the universe. These are the ancestral traditions of a people who have been stigmatized by their culture and their art, the people of the heirs of fire, the creators of stars and galaxies, the place in the world where art is an explosion.”

The preparation for this festival begins weeks, even months, in advance. Local artisans meticulously construct massive toritos—colossal, fire-breathing bull structures packed with pyrotechnics. These creations are not mere displays of craftsmanship; they are sacred offerings, expressions of devotion, built to be consumed by fire. As the festival kicks off, the town transforms into a roaring inferno. These bulls charge through the streets, spewing fire and sparks, as thousands of people rush forward to dance beneath them, embracing the flames as an act of both defiance and devotion.

As night falls, the townscape morphs into a realm of myth and legend. The air fills with smoke, embers rise like newborn stars, and the sky becomes a shifting canvas of reds and golds. Amid the firestorm, participants move with fearless grace, their silhouettes illuminated against the raging light. It is a fleeting, almost otherworldly moment, where the boundary between earth and cosmos seems to dissolve.

Yet, despite its breathtaking spectacle, this tradition is often met with misunderstanding. Outsiders perceive danger, where the people of Tultepec see devotion. For generations, they have been labeled as reckless, their culture regarded as an uncontrolled flirtation with disaster. But those who live this tradition know the truth. To them, fire is not destruction; it is creation. It is their history, their identity, their inheritance.

Through his lens, Antonio Flores captures the soul of this extraordinary event, offering the world a window into a celebration where faith burns as brightly as the flames themselves. His photographs do more than document the festival; they invite us to step into the fire, to witness the devotion, artistry, and bravery that define the people of Tultepec. In his images, we see not just fire, but the living heartbeat of a tradition that refuses to be extinguished.

Follow Antonio Flores on Instagram: @fotografodelinfierno