Tragic Fire

Nothing like a fire ball for breakfast.

Glad no one was hurt.

Amazing.

Wow - and although he had insurance, my guess is they decline to cover.

"It was partially my fault" ?


Sounds like a good candidate for this years Darwin Awards....

Stories like that one fill me with horror. The tools and equipment accumulated over a lifetime of hard work lost in flames; the incalculable stress and sense of loss, and the aboslute, abject stupidity of adding accelerant to firewood. I am sympathetic for the loss and the pain it's brought.

And yet this sort of practice continues, year in, year out, passed on from one generation to the next. Blows my mind. Several years ago there was an awful story about some kids starting a fire in the garage to help out. One of them did what Daddy did and "goosed" the fire with accelerant... they weren't so lucky; at least one killed and one or two were very seriously burned. I recall that the story affected Jake, deeply, too.

I'm starting to think that every public school curriculum should be teaching check book balancing and how to safely burn wood to heat a home right along with sex education! I hate to say it, but I hope the insurance company passes on covering the loss; a loss that was entirely preventable. Stupid is as stupid does. And the costs can be heavy.

Bobbin said:

Stories like that one fill me with horror. The tools and equipment accumulated over a lifetime of hard work lost in flames; the incalculable stress and sense of loss, and the aboslute, abject stupidity of adding accelerant to firewood. I am sympathetic for the loss and the pain it's brought.

And yet this sort of practice continues, year in, year out, passed on from one generation to the next. Blows my mind. Several years ago there was an awful story about some kids starting a fire in the garage to help out. One of them did what Daddy did and "goosed" the fire with accelerant... they weren't so lucky; at least one killed and one or two were very seriously burned. I recall that the story affected Jake, deeply, too.

I'm starting to think that every public school curriculum should be teaching check book balancing and how to safely burn wood to heat a home right along with sex education! I hate to say it, but I hope the insurance company passes on covering the loss; a loss that was entirely preventable. Stupid is as stupid does. And the costs can be heavy.

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Teaching Common Sense 1010 sounds rather silly, but I agree with you completely.

".........Ricker said he poured kerosene on wood that he loaded into his wood stove — something Ricker said he’s done many times before without any trouble — but when he lit the stove this time “it backfired.” "

I'm sorry, but...............Kerosene?! I mean, cummon! No WONDER things went KABLOOEE!!

-Soupy1957

When I was a young child, I used to visit neighbors and relatives who would have and still rely on wood-burning ranges in their kitchens. There would be a coffee-can or other container on the floor somewhere in the kitchen with small kindling pieces in kerosene. They'd stick a couple of these little sticks in the firebox first as they built up for a fire.

I don't recommend it, just remembering the scene.

Terrible about this guy's home, at least he and the dog are ok.

I wonder if he grabbed the wrong can and put gasoline instead of kerosene on the wood. That would really make things "backfire." I'm glad everyone's alright, but it's a bit more than "partially" his fault.

Genuine question - What is the danger in dipping some bark and very light kindling in an accelerant like this? I would think the problem is adding it TO the fire, or keeping a container full of accelerant near the stove...

In all seriousness guys - I'm guessing that I increased the chance of my house burning down by about 1000% by installing and using a wood stove. I don't feel like handling an accelerant at all, but I am wondering.

Joe

A few years ago, when my son was in Boy Scouts, we made those little soda can cookers and used acetone as the fuel. I'll skip the details because we can all figure out what I did....Lets just say the fireball coming from my insert was very blue when I ducked.

To this day my 14 year old tells all his friends that story when we're sitting by the fire. :lol:

Joefrompa: The danger that you inherit, with a wood stove, is real. The folks in here are genuine in their desire to help anyone understand the RIGHT way, and the SAFEST way to keep our families and homes from harm.

Listen to the advice given, and don't take shortcuts. The danger is minimized dramatically by being a bit "anal" about the attention paid to the details.

Anything you add as an accelerant has to have control limits. Even paper, fire starters, ........heck, even the wood itself! As BrotherBart has said, .......you don't need an accelerant to get the fire going well. If you DO choose to use an accelerant, it needs to be as safe a product as possible, to avoid costly mistakes. Even a product like Fatwood, is a condensed fuel-filled danger, unless used wisely.

I too have some trouble sleeping sometimes, even when I know that I'm doing everything by the numbers. Yet I know my system is sound, and my practices are within the parameters that keep things as safe as possible, and I have to rest with that. When I get in my car, I can drive "by the book" and STILL something ELSE can happen.

The real answer then, I suppose, is to be as meticulous about your practices, and trust yourself. If others are involved in the maintenance of the fire, make sure THEY fully understand the "how" and the "why" of it. Let them show you that they truly understand and can demonstrate that.

Finally, remember what all this is about. The cost savings, the love of natural things, ...........don't let yourself live in fear. (I'm preaching to myself now, as well). Don't let the fear of the danger, take away from you the value of the practice. Respect the danger and make every effort to negate as much of that danger as you can. If that's not possible, with your current equipment or whatever, then I'd question whether or not you should be burning wood, at this time, or at All (you, or me, or anyone ELSE in the same scenario).

-Soupy1957

To me, there is plenty enough danger in having a fire in a box inside your house. I've seen people lose everything they owned in a fire and knowing its potential for destruction and the unhappiness that follows I'm all about managing the inherent risk to the best of my ability! I'm the same way about driving a car, using high speed machinery, and a bunch of the other things.

That's why I am not one to "push my luck" too far. Trying to jump start a fire with an accelerant autmatically increases the risk of the fire "getting away" from you. But the story of the kids illustrates the point that just because you've been able to do something risky without getting burned (sorry) doesn't mean that those who've watched you have considered all the possible outcomes or are able to manage the kerosene-wood ratio finely enough to avoid disaster. It's tempting fate.

I'm way too risk averse to even consider such a thing.

So is Thermite out of the question?????

I wonder if Bill's Auto Salvage across the street takes mobile homes? :ahhh:

I tried it once several yrs ago and didn't like the smell. What happened to this guy was he threw in a kerosene soaked log onto hot coals. Same thing basically happens in a burn barrel. The flame front is very fast and is going for the oxygen outside of the container. This time the container was the stove and the oxygen was in the mobile home. We all learn, sometimes unfortunately the hard way.

JV_Thimble said:

Wow - and although he had insurance, my guess is they decline to cover.

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I often wonder where people get the idea that insurance companies don't pay for miscalculations, errors, mistakes, stupidity (call it what you will). As long as it wasn't intentional or not covered to begin with, why would they deny coverage?

BrotherBart said:

wkpoor said:

What happened to this guy was he threw in a kerosene soaked log onto hot coals. Same thing basically happens in a burn barrel. The flame front is very fast and is going for the oxygen outside of the container. This time the container was the stove and the oxygen was in the mobile home. We all learn, sometimes unfortunately the hard way.

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"Ricker said he poured kerosene on wood that he loaded into his wood stove — something Ricker said he’s done many times before without any trouble — but when he lit the stove this time “it backfired.” "

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I didn't go back and read it but I think there was something about hot coals in there. Sounds like he got away with it by starting from a cold stove before. Adding liquid fuel for a hot start is definitely a recipe for disaster.

Wow!

JotulOwner said:

JV_Thimble said:

Wow - and although he had insurance, my guess is they decline to cover.

Click to expand...

I often wonder where people get the idea that insurance companies don't pay for miscalculations, errors, mistakes, stupidity (call it what you will). As long as it wasn't intentional or not covered to begin with, why would they deny coverage?

Click to expand...

Well, if it says in your owners manual, don't use accelerants in this device, and you do.. that's on purpose. Stupidity, yes, but still against the manual and on purpose.

If you accidently burn your house down, that's one thing, but if you soak a log in kerosene and then set in on fire in your house, that's another. Many people say insurance won't cover something along this line because they have seen it happen. I have several times. But my wife used to be an adjuster.

Dakotas Dad said:

JotulOwner said:

JV_Thimble said:

Wow - and although he had insurance, my guess is they decline to cover.

Click to expand...

I often wonder where people get the idea that insurance companies don't pay for miscalculations, errors, mistakes, stupidity (call it what you will). As long as it wasn't intentional or not covered to begin with, why would they deny coverage?

Click to expand...

Well, if it says in your owners manual, don't use accelerants in this device, and you do.. that's on purpose. Stupidity, yes, but still against the manual and on purpose.

If you accidently burn your house down, that's one thing, but if you soak a log in kerosene and then set in on fire in your house, that's another. Many people say insurance won't cover something along this line because they have seen it happen. I have several times. But my wife used to be an adjuster.

Click to expand...

What if you didn't read the manual, or misread the manual, or even took a big risk despite the manual but didn't mean to burn your house down? That's still an accident.