City Bonfires

A few years ago we bought a small stainless steel bio ethanol Blomus fireplace. It fit perfectly in the corner of the room and we used it regularly. It provided a bit of heat but also an ambiance. When we moved to northern Virginia from Capitol Hill we didn’t have a place to put the fireplace in our living space, so we put it in the corner on the balcony - mainly for looks. A couple of weeks ago I learned about City Bonfires. It’s a small canister of wax that turns in to a small fire. It must be used outside, and can be easily extinguished by placing the cover back on to the canister. The flames are supposed to last from three to four hours. It is made in Maryland, and comes with a s’mores option, or just the bonfire itself. I though it might be amusing to try it out. So I ordered one with a ten per cent discount on the website. It arrived the other day. We decided to try it out last evening - in honor of the Persian new year fire jumping ritual. We wouldn’t be jumping, but would be observing. The bonfire comes with a lot of safety material. The 4 inch round portable tin can fit perfectly on the grill of the Blomus fireplace and once it was lit, made for a delightful balcony bonfire. It’s not something we would do all the time, but it is a great option for when we want to. I absolutely loved our gas fireplace when we lived in the Midwest. It was used all the time in the particularly cold climate and just plain looked nice. This small option is nothing like that, but is a subtle reminder. There is just something about the glow of the fire. After about fifteen minutes we put the top back on the can, let it cool down for thirty minutes, then brought it back in the house to store until the next time. It went from liquid to wax again and is ready for the next time. So now our tiny fireplace can be used again. It’s a lot easier to use the city bonfires can rather than the bio ethanol. What a great idea and just in time for Nowruz!