Accidental burns with domestic fire-lighting fluid

The use of methyl alcohol (methanol) as an igniting fluid is very dangerous. Nineteen patients (17 males and 2 females), burned while using this fluid for lighting barbecues or filling lamps and stoves, have recently been treated at the Burn Unit at the Karolinska Hospital. A mean of 23% body surface was involved and many of the burns were deep dermal or full thickness. Ninety percent of the patients had facial burns. Hospital stay averaged 23 days with 2.2 operations. It seems that previous alarms ( Nordstr öm & Nyl én, 1975) remain unheeded by both manufacturers and consumers. The public must be warned about the dangers associated with the use of methanol. Briquettes as solid fuel for barbecues and safer ignition fluids ought to be popularized .