I don’t think I’ll ever forget the night my buddy almost lit himself on fire instead of our bonfire. I’d stacked the wood in the fire pit and went back to the kitchen for the food. As I came out onto the porch, a ball of flames exploded in the yard and for a minute my friend was illuminated, bending over the wood. He spun around and tried to shield his face, but the fire had already singed the end of his hair and even one eyebrow. And he is one of the lucky ones. A Wisconsin teenager was just charged with burning 17 bystanders when he threw gasoline on a bonfire last year.

Why is it dangerous to light a bonfire with gasoline? Here’s the truth about gas and fire safety: Gasoline is not only very flammable, it is very volatile. This means it is constantly shedding flammable vapors. This makes it great for internal combustion. But it makes it horrible for lighting a fire.

If you pour a bunch of liquid gasoline onto a pile of firewood, a flammable cloud of vapor will fill the air above the firewood. When you go to light the fire, this cloud will burst into flames–right in your face. It will create a fireball that could hurt bystanders. And as it rises, it may not even light the wood below.

You can actually see see a Myth Busters sort of YouTube channel (Beyond the Press) use liquid propane to demonstrate how this happens in the video embedded below. Then read on for alternatives to gasoline.

So if you can’t pour gasoline on firewood, what’s the best way to light a campfire? If you get on various forums and ask around, everyone will have their own suggestion. Some folks say stick with diesel fuel. Others recommend kerosene. And a few mad scientists will suggest some special concoction, based in ethanol or petroleum products. It’s all enough to make your head spin.

Luckily for you, there are professional scientists who engineer flammable liquids to help you light a fire as safely as possible. You can even buy it in your local store. I’m being a bit sarcastic, but I’m of course referring to regular old lighter fluid.

I know exactly what you’re thinking, “But that doesn’t go BOOM!” I know. And trust me, I’m a motor-head who loves explosions. But do you think there might be a reason why lighter fluid is “underpowered?” If you want to keep all your fingers and your eyes, stick with boring this time. Use some balled up newspaper and smaller pieces of kindling to get a bed of coals going, then throw on the big wood. You’ll have an exciting roaring bonfire soon enough.