Bio Ethanol Fireplace Safety Distance and Risk of Fire

When dealing with an open fire, it is important to be careful to avoid a fire hazard. One of the most important things to consider when buying and installing a bio ethanol fireplace is the safety distance between the bioethanol fire and other objects and materials.

The most important safety precautions

• Use your common sense when installing a biofuel fireplace. No matter how strange it may sound, there are currently no legal regulations and security requirements regarding bio ethanol fires.
• Always make sure to build your fireplace in non-combustible materials. MDF is NOT suitable.
• Make sure there is plenty of space for the flame and heat - we recommend a distance of at least 50-60 cm above the burner.

If you have any doubts in regards to the safety distances of an ethanol fireplace, feel free to contact bioethanol-fireplace.co.uk

Bioethanol Fireplace Safety Distance - Method 1

Use these standard measures if you want to transform an old regular fireplace into an ethanol fireplace. The same applies if you want to build a bio fuel fire into the wall. If you want to install a TV above your bio ethanol heater, we recommend using this procedure for fireplace safety.

Installation of a TV above an ethanol fireplace can be achieved by using different methods, and therefore we have made a guide specifically for that: Installation of a TV above your bio fireplace.

A - We recommend a minimum clearance of 50-60 cm above the fire opening for the flame.

B - There are no definite safety distance requirements for the sides. However, we do recommend a distance between 5-10 cm. If you choose to have several burners next to each other, we recommend placing them about 5 cm apart.

C - We recommend about 10 cm in front of and behind the burner.

D - The optimum depth varies with the burner. However, if you want to have a TV hanging over the bioethanol fire, you should have a little extra space to push the burner further in. See more under E.

E - If you want to hang a TV over an ethanol fire, you must consider that the heat should not rise directly into the TV. As a minimum, you should have about 10 cm in front of the burner. For a TV above, we recommend 15-20 cm in front of the burner.

F - There are no security requirements regarding the distance to the floor. You should, however, ensure to use solid materials to place the burner on and that the burner is placed horizontally.

G - If you hang a TV over the bioethanol fire, we recommend that you add an additional 30 cm in the clearance above the burner.

1 - This part shall be completely solid and fireproof. Examples of materials could be bricks, slate, stones, cement, ceramics or metal (we recommend stainless steel). Do NOT use MDF-material, gypsum boards or fibreboards!

2 - Recommended materials: Stainless steel, metal, stone, slate, cement or bricks.

3 - This part is particularly affected by the heat. Make sure it is thick and solid. Examples of materials could be bricks, steel, cement or stone. Heat-insulate if necessary with Vacupor or mineral wool.

4 - Use fireproof materials such as metal, stone, slate, bricks or tiles.

NOTE: Be extra observant with curtains and similar items that are moveable by the wind. Make sure that elements such as these will not get near the open fire and have a security distance of minimum 1 meter from the ethanol fireplace.

Bioethanol Burner Safety Distances - Method 2

Use these safety distances if you want to build your own bioethanol fire with a burner.

A, B, C, D refer to the recommended minimum measures.

1 and 2 refer to the recommended materials and surfaces.

A - We recommend approximately 10 cm space in front and behind the burner.

B - We recommend about 5-10 cm for both sides of the burner. If you choose to have several burners next to each other, we recommend to place them a minimum of 5 cm apart.

C - We recommend a free space of minimum 50-60 cm above the opening of the burner for the flame.

D - There are no security requirements regarding the distance to the floor. You should, however, ensure to use solid materials as a floor for the burner and that the burner is horizontal.

1 - This part shall be completely solid and fireproof. Examples of materials could be bricks, slate, stones, cement, ceramics or metal (we recommend stainless steel). Do NOT use MDF-material, gypsum boards or fibreboards!

2 - Recommended materials: Stainless steel, metal, stone, slate, cement or bricks.

3 - This part is particularly affected by the heat. Make sure it is thick and solid. Examples of materials could be bricks, steel, cement or stone. Heat-insulate if necessary with Vacupor or mineral wool.

4 - Use fireproof materials such as metal, stone, slate, bricks or tiles.

NOTE: Be extra observant with curtains and the like which are moveable by the wind. Make sure that elements such as these will not get near the open fire and minimum have a security distance of 1 meter from the bioethanol fire.

You can find our range bioethanol burners for DIY fireplace projects or to be recessed into a wall, here:

Safety Distances for Pre-Fabricated Bioethanol Fires

Pre-fabricated bioethanol fires consist of our wall mounted and freestanding fireplaces. These bio fireplaces are built for easy and fast installation. Therefore, there are not many guidelines to follow in terms of safety distance. Nevertheless, we do have some recommendations that we would like to pass on to you.

But, since there are 1000 different models, it can be difficult to cover them all. Therefore, you should always check the individual bio fire manual for installation and safety instructions.

When installing a wall mounted bio ethanol fireplace, a minimum of 90 cm of clearance zone is required above the burner. If the burner is built within a "box", the clearance zone above can be reduced to 60-70 cm.

A security distance to the sides is rarely relevant. However, we recommend providing a security distance of a couple of cm from the bioethanol fire to other materials.

Be extra careful with curtains and the like, which are moveable by the wind. Make sure that elements such as these will not get near the open fire and have a security distance of a minimum of 1 metre from the bio fire.

Concerning the wall, as the bioethanol fire is installed on it, there are rarely any requirements for fire safety. Virtually all wall mounted bioethanol fires can be mounted on all types of walls. That is if the wall can carry the weight of the biofuel fire. Wall mounted bioethanol fires often have a backplate and/or wall brackets that shield the wall from fire and heat.

See our collection of wall mounted bioethanol fires here:

These directives apply to both freestanding bio ethanol fireplace and bio ethanol table fireplace.

A minimum of 90 cm of clearance zone is needed above the burner. If the burner is built within a "box", the clearance zone above can be reduced to 60-70 cm.

The security distance surrounding the freestanding bioethanol fires may vary depending on the model and whether the flame is contained within a shield on all sides or not. On the majority of our bioethanol fire, the flame is contained within side-shields, why it is not necessary to keep more than a couple of centimetres distance for security measures. For the bio ethanol fires which do not have side-shields on every side, so that the flame is accessible, we recommend keeping a security distance of 60 cm from the burner to flammable material.

Be extra careful with curtains and the like which are moveable by the wind. Make sure that elements such as these will not get near the open fire and minimum have a security distance of 1 metre from the ethanol fire

See our selection of freestanding bioethanol fires here: