Had a weird thing happen two days back. Was frying potatoes outside with my Peak stove and I couldn't get enough pressure in it to eject a sufficient mist for a low, hot, blue flame instead of a towering red and yellow flame. So, I was turning it off when that hand was suddenly enrobed in flame. I pulled it back, pressed it on the driveway to extinguish the flame on my palm and pressed my right hand on top of it to do the same. When I removed my right hand, the flame sprang up again, so I fully extinguished it with my right hand again.

Here's where it gets weird: no damage!

For two days now, I keep looking at my left hand, expecting the burn to suddenly appear. I called a doc friend the day it happened and he mustered a very good guess. I will give you one more clue. The reason my stove wouldn't run right was because there was a leak right behind that red-knobbed lever that turns the stove off. I wrenched it tight and now it works well. Anyone wanna see if they're as smart as a doc?

I'll guess a layer of moisture about your hand, but I really don't know. I do know I started a burnpile, once, with gas, on a very wet day... the gas carried flames around me, off puddles, but I was not burnt (but plenty humbled).

You've clearly been dabbling in the black arts again.
How many times must we tell you...Don't open those old, brass and leather bound tomes!! ;)

I'll offer a page from the fire-eaters handbook. Limit the oxygen to a flame and you've tamed the flame.

Are you a flame tamer?

Glad you didn't get hurt......I've had nearly the same thing happen with my omnifuels....

The worse boneheaded thing I've done with stoves, is boiling water, and it overboil, and put the stove out. Come back a few minutes to a stove that is out, and a stove that has leaked all the fuel onto the ground.....I honestly had no idea.

The FIREBALL that ensued on the re-ignite of the stove was epic. And pretty damn hard to put out in the BWCA.

I'm forever careful now.

I would guess spontaneous human combustion but I'm thinking prior to cooking you used Purcell hand sanitizer and that is why your hand ignited. Glad you're OK.

I'm glad you weren't hurt. I collect old Coleman stoves and lanterns. I have had some amazing fireballs! Usually happens when I flood one.

Mike

The leak in your stove tells me you had fumes, mist or particulate leakage leading to unburned atomized fuel, hence the tall red and yellow flame. When you cupped your hand around the utensil to stir the potatoes you probably trapped the unburned fuel vapors coming off the flame in your cupped hand. When you put your hand down near the hottest source of heat it lit off a flame in your hand. ??? That's my guess anyways.

You guys got it! Rtallent, fadersup, and Ole496 collectively guessed the doc's guess. Rtallent, the doc agreed that the slight film of ever-present moisture gave me a split second of protection. Fadersup focused on oxygen deprivation as did the doc; my hand was only a foot above the driveway and with fire to motivate me, it took less than a second to reach the driveway to snuff the flame on my palm and bring my other hand atop it. Ole496 tapped into the state of the fuel. It was leaking right behind the on/off lever. So, my hand was sprayed with that fuel, which the doc guessed was mostly in a gaseous state, creating a cloud around my hand more than coating my hand. When it ignited, the fire was a slight distance from my hand instead of on my hand. So, you guys are as smart as a doc, but then again, he was just guessing too, so if he is wrong, you guys are as dumb as a doc ;-).

Yikes, Geo! That reminds me of when my dad tried to start a campfire in a rain, but didn't have kerosene and used white gas instead. It was like being at a Kiss concert.

fadersup, when I trained to work in a hospital, they had us put out a burning trashcan with a single sheet of newspaper via suffocation. It's amazing how quickly one can tame flame if a sufficient cover is available.

Right, fuel vapor trapped in your palm, but not on your skin, ignited, I'll bet. Lucky.

quote TominMpls: "Right, fuel vapor trapped in your palm, but not on your skin, ignited, I'll bet. Lucky."

Yep, that's just what the doc thought. I am lucky. I think I'll bet on Conor to beat Floyd. How does one place a bet on a boxing match? Say, is anyone willing to take my bet? I'll give you any odds as I'm feeling very lucky!

Buy a lottery ticket!

Missmolly,
I had a similar thing happen to me about 25 years ago with regular unleaded gas.
No burns, but my hand was on fire, and I looked like the Statue of Liberty.

I'm guessing you looked and played the part of "Miss Liberty" better than I did.
;-)
Glad you're ok.

quote LindenTree3: "Missmolly,
I had a similar thing happen to me about 25 years ago with regular unleaded gas.
No burns, but my hand was on fire, and I looked like the Statue of Liberty.


I'm guessing you looked and played the part of "Miss Liberty" better than I did.
;-)
Glad you're ok."

It's a weird moment in one's life, isn't it?

quote OneMatch: "Buy a lottery ticket!"

No, I'm going with Conor over Floyd. I'm still waiting for a sucker to take my bet.

quote missmolly: "

quote TominMpls: "Right, fuel vapor trapped in your palm, but not on your skin, ignited, I'll bet. Lucky."

Yep, that's just what the doc thought. I am lucky. I think I'll bet on Conor to beat Floyd. How does one place a bet on a boxing match? Say, is anyone willing to take my bet? I'll give you any odds as I'm feeling very lucky!"

What a quack.

He should have said that you are clearly the hottest thing going and when you cover yourself the world loses a flame.

quote 3Ball: "

quote missmolly: "

quote TominMpls: "Right, fuel vapor trapped in your palm, but not on your skin, ignited, I'll bet. Lucky."

Yep, that's just what the doc thought. I am lucky. I think I'll bet on Conor to beat Floyd. How does one place a bet on a boxing match? Say, is anyone willing to take my bet? I'll give you any odds as I'm feeling very lucky!"

What a quack.


He should have said that you are clearly the hottest thing going and when you cover yourself the world loses a flame."

Ha!

Full disclosure, wouldn't have had a guess if I hadn't recently been watching clips of our guy Shug eating fire at the State Fair. Watch a couple of his videos and call me in the morning.