Fires that burn ethanol as a fuel have been growing very popular in France over the last year or so. Apart from being incredibly realistic, fashionable and apparently green ethanol fires offer a smoke free way to heat homes and are often used as a warm and decorative focal point, but a statement issued by the French Consumer Safety Commission (CSC) this week says fires that burn ethanol as a fuel can be highly dangerous and should come with safety warnings.

Although some manufacturers of the fires are responsible and do include detailed safety instructions others do not and the CSC wants safety notices to be a legal requirement on all ethanol type stoves and fires sold in France.

Ethanol (sometimes called ethyl alcohol) is an alcohol fuel that is generally considered as a bio fuel as it can be produced from fermenting crops with a high starch or sugar content. The CSC warn that Ethanol is extremely flammable making it very dangerous when relighting a fire whilst it is still warm as there is a real danger of a flashback.

The commission also warns that ethanol burning stoves and fires can produce large amounts of the deadly gas Carbon Monoxide and recommends that all homes with ethanol type stoves or fires equip themselves with a Carbon Monoxide safety alarm.

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