Safety Concern Alcohol Stoves

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Harry n Leslie

Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2007
RO Number
27509
Messages
9
While we were out on Frying Pan Bay by Beausoleil Island this summer, we were just finishing breakfast when I heard screaming from a boat across from us. As I looked up I saw smoke coming from a 29' Chris Craft that was rafted together with three other boats. Within in minutes the boat was fully engulfed and fortunately set adrift. However having done that, the rest of the boats that were in the bay were also in peril as the the fully involved boat now drifted towards other anchored boats. Fortunately the wind was blowing to the north and the boat drifted towards shore. My wife who is a nurse was able to get to one of the injured parties who was now with the other rafted boats. The injuries, thankfully were minor and according to the pics she was extremely lucky that all she received were burns on her arms. The details are as follows, she was downstairs in the galley boiling a pot of water on the alcohol stove, as she removed the pot she noticed that flames were now dancing on the counter top. The alcohol was now running down the side of the cabinets and caught the curtain to the aft cabin on fire and from there it went up into the ceiling and the rest is history. The first picture is of the raft that we captured the night before as our kids were swimming. The Chris Craft is on the far right
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In my mind, there are several concerns regarding this event and one of them being is rafting with that many boats is it safe? Fortunately in this case the boat was on the outside, I would hate to think what might have happened if that boat were in middle of a large raft. And of course, are alcohol stoves safe?
 
More importantly, what happened to the dinghy that is tied up alongside the boat?
 
Older, pump up type, alcohol stoves can be very dangerous due to flair-ups. The non-pump units are much safer. We used ours in the 2860 for a few years and never felt unsafe.
 
It sounds like someone panicked, when calm application of a fire extinguisher may have solved the problem.

Ours alcohol stove is non-pressurized. It seems very safe to me and I would never hesitate to use it. I would not be concerned about rafting with people I know. Strangers, perhaps. But I keep a hunting knife on board in case I ever need to cut loose a line really quickly.
 
I used a non pressurized one for years with no problems, of course common sense was necesary, i.e. avoid breezes, ventilate, watch the pot, etc.
 
Between my parents and I we have used the pressure type for over 40 years in various boats with no problems. We were always careful.But I'll admit I'm happy to have the non pressurized type in our Regal Ed
 
it's been a long time since i used an alcohol stove... it had a pump to pressurize the tank...

never liked using it, rarely did... always kept a couple of fire extinguisher handy but never had to use them...

I think the concern is if burning alcohol leaks and puddles in hidden places, like behind cabinetry. if that happens, you are in deep trouble because you can't get to it with a fire extinguisher...

these pictures are a chilly reminder that anything can go wrong... being ready to handle the problem is critical...
 
Pascal

Todays alcohol stoves are nothing like the ones of old. No more pumping and pressurizing. No flareups.

I'm not saying you don't have to respect them but they are MUCH safer.

As long as you don't try to refuel a hot stove or have hanging curtains or paper products around the stove you would have to work hard to have an issue.
 
We learned a hard (and hot) lesson the first yr with our alcohol stove. Overfilling them and long burn times vaporizes the alcohol in the canisters and they can burn out of control. The metal canisters that hold the wicking material can heat up on a long burn and even closing the tops will not cut off the flame. The trick (or safe way) is to just put in enough fuel to cook what it is you want to cook and no more. Takes a little experience as rommer said, don't try to refuel a hot stove. Alcohol is especially nasty as you can't see the flame. Took me two weeks to get all the drychem out of the boat!
 
I would have to say that she panicked, I don't know if there was a fire extinguisher nearby but the boat that was beside her did give it a blast with the extinguisher but to no avail. As for the dinghy, the rope burned off that was holding it and it went up as well. The only thing that I saw that salvageable was a couple of fenders. It happened so fast that there wasn't anything one can do but watch it burn. My 10 year old daughter had nightmares over that incident.
 
As I remember, the really bad thing about them is you can't always see the flame. I'll go with the genny and electric.
 
Hi Harry n Leslie: It's nice to see you guys back on the site. Gail & I ran into Harry & Leslie just a day or so after this incedent. Just seeing what happened in these pics was enough for me. I won't be using my alcohol stove. I'm with JimPend go with the Genny & electric. By the way it was really nice meeting you guys we really enjoyed the evening.
 
Thanks Scott, we also had a fantastic time that evening, hows the admiral and the mate? It was quiet on the site so I thought I would add some spark to it (no pun intended, ok I lied). Anyway we loved Georgian Bay so much that we're switching marinas and we will be out of Penetang next spring. We hope to see you and Gail next year.
 
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