GIMME SOME OF THAT THAR NAPALM

[Geek King]

I am sad I missed the band wagon.... i'm always looking for safer dangerous ways to get a bonfire going. got to love the country, I go to city "bonfires" and end up going, eh its not that big, the host goes "Your kidding I have the biggest fire pit around".... no seriously dude. I have a pile of wood the size of your bedroom. about 10X14 that is right now about 5Ft in height. With Another 50 pallets to add once it gets going, along with some more wood from that I can't burn in the house due to combustible tar it would leave in the chimney.

The biggest I've been to involved the pulling down of a condemmed barn sitting in the middle of a field. The fire department was contacted, and it was set up so that they could use it as training for a containment fire. The firefighters showed up at the appointed time with full trucks and a resevoir pool, and the rest of us cleared the area for a good way around the pile of old barn. The fire was lit, and I'm told they got 911 calls about it in the next county.

Best part: After they did their training, the firefighters put on their full gear and roasted a twenty-five pount bolagna on a pitchfork over the burning barn remains! One of the funniest things I've seen. Made for a good sandwich, too.

PS: You don't need special fuel to light a big fire, just someone who know how to build a fire. All the same skills, you just make it bigger--and that includes the zone of saftey around the fire. Although you can roll Sterno into a little ball, light it, and throw it like a mini-fireball.

[PatchO'Black]

Going slightly off-topic here. In regards to the proliferation of safety labels, I have a theory: In the past, when someone wanted to do something, they would look to see if there was something that said whatever they want to use to do it said it could do that. If they didn't see such instructions, the person would assume that, no, it shouldn't be used that way. However, these days, some people will assume that, if it doesn't say it shouldn't be used in such a way, then they assume that it can.

[Animae]

I have this, and the pot. I bought it for celebrating Litha, since I don't have any place for a bonfire.

The directions say on both the Fuel and the Pot to not pour it in when the pot is lit. In Very LARGE letters as well.

[Ironclad Alibi]

The directions say on both the Fuel and the Pot to not pour it in when the pot is lit. In Very LARGE letters as well.

Yes, but the instructions don't say anything about the user not being lit when using it.

[LillFilly]

I have one of those; to me it was just COMMON SENSE not to pour the gel into a lit pot; you put as much in as you wanted to burn in the first place. As far as I know they're still selling in 2-stores where I work.

Secondly, and sadly, I think these incidents were 90% likely to happen anyway, because I'm betting they never even read the bottle until afterwards when they were trying to find something to blame.

As for safe gel, it's safe because it puts itself out if it gets tipped-over. The human body, however, is just one big candle.

[Chromatix]

In Finland it is traditional to use outdoor candles to act as an invitation - they can be seen outside restaurants, pubs, hotels and special events alike. But they literally are candles, or else they are trays of kerosene with a wick. Special "gel" fuel not required. They burn with a nice fat yellow flame.

Personally, I think the "invisible" flame of the gel is probably the most dangerous aspect. Even people with basic common sense can be fooled by such a thing - not knowing that flames *can* be invisible, they won't even think to check for heat.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Today a guy comes up to me, asks me where the Napa Firelite pots and fuel are. I tell him they have been recalled by the manufacturer due to the aforementioned incidents of people burning themselves when adding fuel, and thus are not available.

Then he fires back with a retort clever only to himself: "Then they should also recall candles, since people burn themselves on those too."

I had the brains for law school, but I figured dammit, scraping dead animals off the Interstate is really where I'm needed.....

Guy was wearing a Chicago Bears T-shirt. From this I conclude:

A). he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer to begin with, and
B). he's fairly used to pain.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I had the brains for law school, but I figured dammit, scraping dead animals off the Interstate is really where I'm needed.....

I think you summed it up quite succinctly there old friend.

And I think that's about the intellectual level of at least half my customers.

[sirwired]

Guy was wearing a Chicago Bears T-shirt. From this I conclude:

A). he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer to begin with, and
B). he's fairly used to pain.

Given where you live, I'm surprised he's still alive.