Is bioethanol safe?

Bioethanol is becoming a very popular way to heat the home, while also allowing you to create beautiful interior designs with real, smokeless flames that do not require a chimney or leave behind soot and ash. If you are considering using bioethanol fires as a heating solution in your home, you will probably first want to know if bioethanol itself is safe.

Bioethanol is a simple alcohol - in fact it is the same substance as the ethanol found in alcoholic drinks. It is biodegradable and is not toxic to the environment if spilled. However, because bioethanol fuel is pure alcohol, it is not safe for human consumption, so when it is sold as fuel, it is in a denatured form designed to prevent people from drinking it or using it as an ingredient, with unpleasant flavours added. It is safe to have in the home, but of course, as with any other fuel or cleaning product, you must keep it away from children and animals and mop up any spillages before lighting your fireplace, as it is obviously highly flammable. Bioethanol fires, like real fires, need to be watched when children or pets are around, and you should avoid having wires or cables near the burner.