Blower stove safety warning

This describes the safety warnings for using a blower stove.

These small wood-burning cooking stoves are designed for outdoor cooking, using very small quantities of dead tree sticks. By design, only a small portion of the loaded fuel sticks will be burning at any time. The quantity of burning wood in the stove is much less and more controlled than most campfires. The combustion is much more contained than in a campfire. However, the stoves share the same safety issues that campfires and campfire cooking do and need to be safely managed accordingly.

The stoves use small batteries to provide electrical power for the blower fan. Lithium-ion batteries have a high energy density and are consequently an attractive option for backpacking, but they also have a small risk of causing explosions and fires when shorted out internally or when mechanically damaged or overheated or charged too quickly or charged to excessive-high voltage or shorted out externally. If you choose to use lithium-ion batteries, the power supply cable should always be removed from the battery ‘charge/discharge management device’ when not in use and the ‘fang fitting’ on the other end of the cable should be left plugged into the appropriate socket so that shorting is not possible. In addition, the battery should only be charged and used in a suitable device that manages safe charging and short protection. Lastly, if carrying spare batteries outside of the ‘charge/discharge management device’ they should be separated and electrically insulated from one another and from other conductive objects and away from the risk of mechanical damage.

Please follow these safety instructions.

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE COMPETENCE TO SAFELY MANAGE A CAMPFIRE AND COOK ON IT DO NOT USE THESE STOVES.

As preparation for lighting the stove should:

• only be operated by a responsible  and competent adult who will supervise the stove while it is burning,
• not be used by someone who is intoxicated or under the influence of drugs,
• be kept away from children and pets,
• only be used when and where campfires are allowed,
• have a supply of water on hand to extinguish any accidental spread of fire,
• not be used in tents, buildings or confined spaces,
• only be used in well-ventilated areas,
• be used on level and flat; ground or bed of fire ash, or plate of heat resistant metal or rock that will not explode with the heat of the stove,
• when supplied use the ground pegs on the  stove burner to anchor the burner to the ground,
• if the ground is too hard to insert the burner ground pegs, lay it flat on the ground and put a solid rock on it and against the stove to provide resistance to any pushing forces while feeding in fuel sticks,
• do not use on the ground with high organic matter that may catch on fire,
• if used with a second cooking pot or pan, carefully arrange the supporting swinging bridge wire unit to provide adequate support for the second cooking pot substantially beyond the balance point of the pot, and use the ground peg to anchor the wire in this position,
• if the ground is too hard to insert the ground peg, on the swinging bridge wire, lay it flat on the ground and put a solid rock on it and against the bridge wire to provide resistance to any pushing forces while feeding in fuel sticks,
• take care not to bump or move this swing bridge wire unit while feeding fuel sticks into the burner, otherwise, it may spill the hot contents of the pot,
• place the power supply batteries at a safe distance from the stove so that they do not overheat (the battery case should not be hotter than is comfortable for skin contact)
• be set up and used according to these instructions.

Lighting the stove:

• Clear away any combustible materials for 3 m around the stove and avoid any overhanging vegetation.
• Do not use liquid fuels for fire starter, preferably use small amounts of solid fire starter such as candle wax-soaked paper and small amounts of fine sticks and crushed leaves.
• Keep any flammable liquid and gasses away from the stove. This includes gas cylinders and items with flammable solvent (such as fly sprays.

During use the stove will become very hot and will exhaust flames and hot gasses and occasional sparks:

• Do not move stove while burning.
• Always extinguish the stove before leaving it unattended.
• Avoid dry fuel sticks that produce excessive sparks.
• Do not contact the stove or get to close to this source of radiant heat.
• Avoid exposure to the hot flame and exhaust gas from the stove while refuelling with fuel sticks,
• Preferably refuel the stove with long sticks (greater than 400mm) to avoid the exposure of hands to the above mentioned hot exhaust gas, and use another long stick to push short sticks into the burner,
• Do not touch the hot end of the pushing stick or place it on flammable materials.
• For fuel sticks that contain moisture, avoid the boiling sap and invisible steam that may be expelled from the outer ends of fuel sticks.
• Avoid the trip hazard of excessively long fuel sticks and the risk of upsetting the stove and pots.
• Only use pots that can be stably positioned on the pot stand/s,
• Only use with cooking pots and pans with suitable handles for their safe handling with hot contents, and observe the proper orientation of the handles over the flame protection zones to avoid excessive heating of the handles by the stove.
• Do not put any part of your body below the hot pots in case they are dislodged and spill their contents on you.
• Do not use this stove for frying food in more than a trace of cooking oil or fat to reduce the risk of an oil fire.

Please keep this leaflet stored with the stove for future reference. Please give me feedback if you consider that there are any other safety issues that should be included in this safety warning.