  2:30 AM
What a way to wake up! Let me try to recall the
events that night. Saturday night. No need to get up early the next day so a
few guys just hung out around the camp fire that night. I hit the sack around
11:15pm and put some ear plugs in to get some sleep. I don't exactly
"remember" waking up, but the next thing I recall is standing in the kitchen of
the cabin looking at a 5 - 6 foot ball of fire on the kitchen table with flames licking
off the ceiling of the 2nd floor.
I don't think at that moment most of us knew what it was
but we definitely knew it had to be put out, NOW. Somebody threw a jacket over the
fire but it was still shooting out in all directions. I looked over at the wall and
saw a fire extiguisher, grabbed it, pulled the pin and handed it to Steve who then
promptly put it out.
It was at around this point that I realized I still had
the ear plugs in and could barely hear anything. Whatever was burning was thrown out
the window onto the ground in front of the cabin. I still had no idea what the hell
it was or what happened.
Then it was explained that the Coleman propane gas
lantern caught fire. How? In my opinion, through being unfamiliar with the
lantern and by bad design. The lantern was going out because it was low on fuel.
Someone, got another canister, turned off the lantern, unscrewed it, and began
screwing the new one back on. At this point he heard it hissing and thinking he had
not turned it off did what comes naturally and turned it counter-clockwise. In
America that usually means OFF. Not on this Coleman. If you look at the picture
below you'll see counter-clockwise is ON. Not only is it ON but it also is an autostart.
CLICK! WWWHHHOOOMMMM!!!! Thus the ball of flame on the table.
I'm told, though I don't remember, Eric saw the cabin light up like a hollywood
movie and started screaming FIRE! That got everyone up and into action. Thank
heaven for quick thinking and that no one was hurt and the cabin still stands. We
spent some time in the morning cleaning up the white stuff from the extiguisher but all is
well.
Anyone who may own one of these Coleman's or is thinking
of getting one, just be aware that this is a potential hazzard. What may come natural at
2:30 in the morning in the dark, like counter-clockwise means off could make this mistake. |
