The Hewlett fire in Colorado is a well documented case where the guy admitted what happened - he stepped away from his alcohol stove briefly and the next thing he knew there was a fire he couldn't put out. This illustrated that alcohol stoves, like any stove, can indeed start a fire, that should be obvious. It also seems obvious that alcohol would not be the safest stove because the flame is hard to see and the fuel can be spilled. If regulations are going to allow and prohibit various stoves, then what is needed is the relative risk from the various stove types. In other words, how many other fires have been accidentally ignited over the years from all the various stove types and fuels out there? Or better yet, is there test data to show that certain stoves are more likely to start a fire. Unfortunately, regulations often follow a high profile disaster when emotions are stronger than logic.AlmostThere wrote:Fires caused by camp stoves?
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An alcohol stove caused one of the biggest fires in recent history in southern California. I remember reading about it but google news won't go back far enough to find the articles.
I'm headed into Desolation Wilderness this weekend and found this interesting language on the latest temporary stove restrictions there, effective July 1. It's even more vague and actually seems less restrictive than the historic language used for prohibiting stoves.
"However, persons with a valid Campfire Permit may use a pressurized gas or contained fuel stove."