How safe is bioethanol fuel?

Bioethanol fuel is becoming a widely used fuel for home heating, with bioethanol fireplaces giving off an attractive real orange flame and being hot enough to heat your rooms in even the coldest weather. Bioethanol fireplaces are popular for many reasons - they are smoke-free and do not require chimneys or other special ventilation openings, and they burn cleanly without leaving any soot or ash behind.

But how safe is bioethanol fuel? As with any real fire, you obviously need to keep the flames away from people and avoid letting the fire get too close to wires and cables to prevent them from melting. However, bioethanol fires do not present the same dangers as other fires. Bioethanol itself is biodegradable and low in toxicity, so it will not harm the environment if it is spilled. It is a form of pure alcohol, so dangerous if ingested, and of course it is flammable, but as long as you keep your fuel safe, away from children and animals, it is as safe to have in the home as alcohols used for cleaning.

When burned, it produces only water and CO2, with the CO2 being about the same as burning one or two candles, so it is also safe in terms of gases.