Marshfield Woman Burned In Gel Fuel Firepot Accident
HANOVER (CBS) - Are popular outdoor candles dangerous?
They are called 'firepots' and burn special gels using an invisible flame.
Many people use them to keep bugs away, but they are linked to serious burns around the country and right here in Massachusetts.
"Our feeling is that if people are going to use these at all, they should use extreme caution," said Lorraine Carli.
Carli is referring to the firepots that burn such fuel, often mixed with citronella to ward off backyard bugs.
WBZ-TV's Ken MacLeod reports.
The trouble is that the vapor fireballs caused by unsuspecting users who add fuel to already burning pots or scalding hot ones have hurt dozens of people.
"It's just like adding gasoline to a fire, almost."
The latest incident happened at a home in Hanover on Friday night. The homeowner was trying to add fuel to the gel pot, and it triggered a small invisible fireball, which ignited her best friend's clothing. The Marshfield woman's face, chest and arms were badly burned before she could jump into the swimming pool.
"They don't see that invisible flame, and as soon as they dump more fuel in here, it ignites the fuel and can cause a really violent and quick ignition," said Ron Lipps, a firefighter.
The instructions on many gels warn against adding them to burning pots, which is not much good if you can't tell it's still burning. It can mean big trouble if the flaming fuel jumps onto your clothing or skin.
"If you've ever watched Indy 500, where they have a fire in the pits where you don't see any flames, you see a bunch of guys dancing around because they're on fire, and the flames are invisible. It's the same kind of fuel here," said Lipps.
"The traditional thing you tell people is to stop, drop and roll, and in this case, that won't work," said Carli.
There have been some voluntary gel fuel recalls as federal officials look toward wider action to douse the firepot controversy.
The Marshfield woman underwent skin graft surgery Tuesday at Mass. General Hospital.
Federal officials said two of the 24 people burned nationwide were critically hurt, including a Long Island teenager.
