This was, believe it or not, a safety demonstration. Expert skydiver Brianne Thompson wants to teach people the importance of carrying a second parachute. So after she jumped and deployed her first parachute, she intentionally set it on fire with a flare gun.
The canopy instantly flared and dissolved, causing Thompson to go into a free fall. That's when she deployed her back-up parachute, which she used to land safely on the ground.
Thompson is, by my estimation, successful in her goal. I plan to begin wearing two parachutes everywhere, even in the shower.
-via Daily of the Day