Firestarter

[cs6155]

I just want to pass this on. Be careful when using a gel in a sqeeze bottle to light fire. The clear insert piece popped out into my stove. I thought the stove was cold but there must still have been a hot ember. Just about the entire contents of the bottle went in the stove and there was a large fireball that spit the gel around the room starting about 15-20 little fires. Luckily we had the fires out just as the fire deparment arrived. Gel was shot up to the chandlier onto my curtains, rug, table, books, floor and pillows. I was lucky only to get 2nd and 3rd degree burns on my hands, leg and arm. I was lucky I was wearing jeans and not nylon pants. It was my own fault as had there not been a hot ember it would have been just a gel mess and not a fire.Although, had the bottle had not been faulty this probably would not have happened either. We love the stove. I just wanted to pass this along and find out another way to light the pellets. Please let me know iff possible. Thank you, Cindy

 

[Sundeep Arole]

Reminds me of a story I read in the newspaper when in school. At the time I was young, and not having seen much of life, I got a good laugh from it. Later on, in one of life's funny coincidences, I met one of the victims, who was badly burned and scarred all over, in college, where we became good friends. Needless to say, the story isn't funny to me anymore.

Anyway my friend's dad decided he wanted to revive a fire in the fireplace. Having run out of fire starter, he decided to go and get the full gas can in the garage. Poured the gasoline right on the fire directly from the can. Of course within a fraction of a second the fire travelled up the gas stream into the can, and the whole thing exploded. His dad's clothes, and then the carpet, the sofa, and then the house. My friend, who was the only one trapped in the fire, was burned badly. The dad escaped with some burns but not life threatening. Fortunately, nobody died, but my friend was scarred for life, and the house was gone.

I've been weary of even using lighter fluid ever since I heard this acount first hand. Call it paranoia, but, I'd rather just stick with dry firestarter.

 

[Shane]

They have firestarters that work ok to start the pellet stove. That sounds like a 1 in a million occurance to me, usually the entire contents of a bottle of gel would extinguish a spark, especially a pellet stove spark that went unoticed. The air/fuel/heat ratio would be way off with that much fuel. That's a horrible thing to have happen to you and I am glad that you and your family are ok. You should check out www.lightningnuggets.com they're good starters. They give one away with new Lopi stoves and I have people ask me where to get them alot.

 

[crow]

Horrible thing to have happen . So sorry !
I just recently tried "Super Cedar Fire Starters" for my wood stove and they work wonderfully!
They say they are good for use with pellet stoves as well. You can get them at www.supercedar.com , or 1-866-HOT-FYRE .

I'm very leary of any kind of flammable liquid . Just seems like it has more potential to get out of control.

I'm glad you're alright.