The impetus for firepaste came from a failed fire test with the Ursus Mark VII where the metal exoskeleton heated up, popped the air bags and left Hurtubise with numerous burns.
After testing the device on his own hand, he claimed he could see his own blood vessels and muscle tissue as clearly as if the skin had been pulled back, but the beam caused numbness and he began to feel ill.
He claimed that the 40-pound (18 kg) suit could withstand bullets fired from high powered weapons (including an elephant gun).
[13][14] The suit has many features including a solar powered air system, recording device, compartments for emergency morphine and salt, and a knife and gun holster.
[15] In early February 2010, after failing to receive any offers to buy the Trojan, Hurtubise, now bankrupt from the expense of creating the suit, was forced to put the prototype up for auction on eBay in the hopes that it would bring in enough money to sustain his family.
[citation needed] On June 17, 2018, Hurtubise was travelling on Highway 17, west of North Bay, when his car collided with a transport truck carrying gasoline, sparking an explosion.
The transport truck driver suffered minor injuries, but Hurtubise's body was discovered inside the burned passenger vehicle.