Flamethrower

Tommy Vercetti using a flamethrower in a pre-release screenshot of GTA Vice City.

"Beware psychopaths and over-enthusiastic barbequers with this weapon. Fine for use in south-east Asia, but on the streets of Vice City, it is nothing but a menace.
-Vice City Bureau of Investigation file description.

The Flamethrower is a mechanical device designed to project a long controllable stream of fire. This weapon has appeared in every Grand Theft Auto game since the first Grand Theft Auto 1, except in Grand Theft Auto IV, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony. It is classified as a Heavy Weapon in the later editions. The Grand Theft Auto III rendition of the flamethrower is based somewhat on the US Army M2 Flamethrower, albeit lacking a backpack fuel tank, and adopting a rifle-like design. The renditions after GTA III are not based on any known flamethrower design, but they may be homebuilt.

Effects

The flamethrower can do damage over a large area. Any vehicles or pedestrians will be instantly set on fire within range. Most pedestrians usually die when lit on fire and only the healthiest car will survive the fire. Fire can be put out by the fire hose on a Firetruck or, in GTA San Andreas, with a Fire Extinguisher. Special vehicles that are fireproofed will be immune from damage from the flamethrower. It is one of the two only weapons that can destroy a Rhino, the other being Molotov Cocktail.

The flames from the flamethrower will only damage vehicles and pedestrians. In GTA San Andreas only, the flames can be created on the ground and can spread, making the fire extremely hard to put out if one is started with the flamethrower, even if only one little flame was made to start out with. The flames on the ground will not affect pedestrians but can affect vehicles and the player. If a pedestrian catches on fire, the pedestrian will usually run wildly until his or her death.

If you activate the flame thrower in front of a mirror, the fire will not show up on it.

Appearances

Flamethrowers are mainly used in Rampages and Kill Frenzies in Grand Theft Auto 2, Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. In GTA 2, a Fire Truck is equipped with the flamethrower in the mission Fire Truck Fun!. In GTA San Andreas, the flamethrower is prominently used in the mission Are You Going to San Fierro? where Carl Johnson uses a flamethrower to destroy The Truth's crops in Leafy Hollow. In GTA Liberty City Stories, it is used in the mission Friggin' the Riggin', in where Toni Cipriani uses a flamethrower collected from Phil Cassidy's Fully Cocked Gun Shop to destroy fake ballot papers, Forelli Family members and vans and two printing machines. In GTA Vice City Stories, it is used in the mission Light My Pyre by Armando Mendez, who uses a flamethrower to confront Victor Vance, who ends up killing Armando in the end.

Gallery

In-game model

Claude Speed using a Flamethrower in GTA 2.
GTA III.
GTA Vice City, GTA San Andreas, GTA Liberty City Stories, and GTA Vice City Stories.
Carl Johnson using the Flamethrower in GTA San Andreas.
Mike using a Flamethrower in GTA Advance.
Toni wielding a Flamethrower in GTA Liberty City Stories.
Toni Cipriani using the flamethrower in GTA Liberty City Stories.
Huang Lee using the Flamethrower in GTA Chinatown Wars.

HUD icons

GTA 1.
GTA London.
GTA 2.
GTA III.
GTA Vice City.
GTA San Andreas.
GTA Advance.
GTA LCS/GTA VCS.

Locations

GTA2

(To show your coordinates you have to enter a cheat code, use at your own risk)

Downtown District

Right set of stairs at the Loonies’ garage two blocks north of the Fruitbat car shop (Sunnyside) (19,5 35,5 4)
Inside the yen-shaped building east of the Funabashi car shop (Funabashi) (114,5 165,5 3)
Southwest corner of the Downtown District, west end of Ukita (Ukita) (3,5 240,5 2)
Go to the courtyard at the southeast corner of the Zaibatsu HQ, close to the entrance. Use the stairs there and make your way through the elevated ledge. Jump over the gap at its end and use the stairs to reach a courtyard (Omnitron) (240,5 127,5 3)
Get a fast car and go to the Avalon police station. Enter it from its west side, then turn north and hit the ramp. Aim carefully towards the ledge north of it (Avalon) (156,5 80,5 5)
Church east of the Shiroto car shop (Avalon) (73,5 135,5 2)
Go to the street west of the cathedral. Follow it on south direction. It will turn east, take the first street to south, and then the second to west. Follow the east hallway over a metal platform. At the end you'll see a gap leading to a courtyard. Go up the stairs and find the small courtyard at the north side (Altamount) (172,5 174,5 4)
Behind some crates at the east section of Flotsam docks (Flotsam) (252,2 245,2 2)
Awarded when a Beamer is crushed

Residential District

Z-shaped platform in the middle of the Zaibatsu Village (The Village) (207,5 24,5 4)
Warehouses at the south side of the southernmost street of the Residential Street, a bit west of the Scientist Research Center (Largo) (171,5 252,5 2)
Go to the Belmont car shop. Follow the road on its east side towards north and take the first street on east direction. Turn north, then east again. When it turns south, take the alley on its west side (Belmont) (36,5 171,5 2)
Dropped by Scientists with 5 negative respect bars
Awarded when a Trance AM is crushed

Industrial District

Head to the pier east of the Lubyanka Docks car shop and hit the ramp on its west side with a car (Lubyanka Docks) (168,5 3,5 2)
Walk a bit southeast of the Tabernacle car shop (Maharishi) (242,5 167 2)
Stone platform northwest of Heavenly Radio (Vedic Temple) (210,5 214,5 5)
West of the conveyor belt located north of the army base (Narayana) (130,5 234,5 2)
Small garden northwest of the army base (Narayana) (123,5 236 2)
West side of the building east of the Zaibatsu cranes (Sennora) (27,5 144,5 2)
Building southeast of Bayano station (Bayano) (107 183,5 2)
Take the last street towards west before you enter Mad Island. Follow it until its end and you'll reach an area with a container. Look for the boxes at the south side (Tedium) (9,5 88,5 2)
Dropped by Krishnas with 5 negative respect bars
Awarded when a Minx is crushed

GTA III

Harwood, Portland - On roof of the Head Radio building. It will be on a block-like object which can only be reached by jumping off the elevated train tracks.
Francis International Airport, Shoreside Vale - Underneath the west end of the Shoreside Lift Bridge, near the graffitied wall.
Pike Creek, Shoreside Vale - Available to buy in the unnumbered garage behind the police station after completion of A Drop In The Ocean for $25,000.
Hideouts - Available after extinguishing total 20 cumulative fires on each island, 60 total, in the Firefighter vehicle mission.

GTA Vice City

Starfish Island - In the swimming pool of the Rockstar House northwest of the Mansion.
Viceport, Vice City Mainland - By the building near the road in the southwest part of Viceport, south of the Viceport Pay 'n' Spray. From the Viceport Pay 'n' Spray, head south along the road. As you near the road curve going east, you should see the weapon icon to your right.
Ocean View Hotel, Ocean Beach, Vice City Beach - Available after collecting 40 Hidden Packages.
Hyman Condo, Downtown, Vice City Mainland - Available after collecting 40 Hidden Packages and after the purchase of Hyman Condo.
Vercetti Estate, Starfish Island - Available after collecting 40 Hidden Packages and after completion of "Rub Out".

GTA San Andreas

Flint County - Through the woods, next to some couple of shacks, near the rail tracks.
Flint Range, Flint County - Inside Helena Wankstein's tool shed, after you date her.
Shady Creeks, Whetstone - Deep inside the forest, near the dirt road and the dirt path crossing a shallow body of water.
Doherty, San Fierro - At the construction site next to the garage, behind a collapsed portion of a building, beside a Pool Cue.
Easter Basin, San Fierro - On top of the tanker where you import or export vehicles.
K.A.C.C. Military Fuels, Las Venturas - Underneath a low ceiling inside the military base itself.
Tierra Robada - Inside Mike Toreno's ranch after completing Vertical Bird.

GTA Advance

Hideouts - Available after extinguishing 20 cumulative fires on each island, 60 total, in the Firefighter vehicle mission.

GTA Liberty City Stories

Trenton, Portland - On a roof across Joey's Garage, reachable by a ramp.

GTA Vice City Stories

Prawn Island - Spawns in the edge of an alley, above it is a Red Balloon and by the alley itself is a Burrito parked.
Hideouts - Available after popping 70 Red Balloons

Source

GTA 2 Locations