To think this isn't safe?

[outofthisplanet]

So neighbours have a green house. It backs onto our garden fence. There’s a few cracked panes of glass and it’s seen better days.
For the past week they appear to be lighting around 10 candles in there and leaving them burning all night.
I’ve googled as I couldn’t work out why they were doing it, and I think it’s to heat up the greenhouse.
I’m just a bit concerned that a gust of wind will blow in from a cracked pane and knock a candle over causing a fire next to our fence.
Not sure what’s massively flammable in there.
I suppose they use those cardboard seedling pots and there’s bags of compost etc.
Could this cause a fire or am I being ridiculous?!

Been googling more. It’s really common. I just don’t like the idea of unattended candles I suppose!

A gust of wind through a pane would have to be pretty freaking strong to knock a candle over, and surely if the wind is strong enough to knock it over it would blow the candle out?

If i were you I'd have a glass of wine and find something to watch on the telly, rather than staring obsessively into your neighbour's garden.

I think this isn’t a big deal at all

Haha. Ok point taken!
I’m a bit funny with candles and refuse to even light them in our house in case my lounge goes up in flames!

isn’t it drummed into is to not leave burning candles unattended? Why is it different in a greenhouse?

@TerrorWig because glass isn't flammable??

Exactly! Maybe because it’s outside it’s not so bad?!

@SomeoneElseEntirelyNow i had assumed it wasn’t an empty greenhouse - most dry vegetable matter tends to be fairly flammable.

If you can leave unattended paraffin heaters in a greenhouse, I'd have thought you could leave unattended candles in a greenhouse.

If theres anything in your garden dry enough to burn, i salute you! My garden wouldn't burn if you napalmed it. It's like a swamp out there.

You need to read a book or start knitting or something.

Won't the candles be lit in the greenhouse to protect newly sown seedlings from overnight frosts?

Yep, you’re over thinking it WRT the candle blowing over inside the green house through a crack in the glass 🤣but I’d want to check they weren’t being put next to anything flammable.

Yanbu. Sounds foolish.

(How much heat do candles generate anyway?!)

Worst case scenario. Their greenhouse goes up in flames, next to your fence. What effect will this have on you?

@Eckhart erm... the fence bursts into flames too?

A greenhouse made of glass and metal wouldn't burn.
If there was an inferno, it would melt.
To get some perspective, light a candle and hold your hand above and to the side, to the distance you think there is between the candles and the greenhouse.
I think you will be surprised how little heat you can feel.

@MummytoCSJH Causing...?

could you ask them to put them on a terracotta tray with sand in?

Putting tea lights to protect from frost is quite common. It's done in apple orchards etc. It's amazing how little heat is required to prevent frost damage. We do it under our apple and plum trees if a frost is predicted around blossom time. Frost on blossom is a disaster.

@Eckhart are you serious? Fence catches on fire, simplest case means insurance pays out to replace it. But it could smoulder and damage trees, it could travel round the whole thing and damage the house?

I have no skin in this game, I don’t have a garden let alone a fence or a greenhouse, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to be a bit worried about it when like I say, it’s drummed into us to not leave candles unattended in the house. It’s a leading cause of house fires if I remember correctly.

I think a lot of people are assuming this is a greenhouse no where near the house. Like I say I don’t have one now, but growing up we had one about six feet away from the back door and butting right up to the fence (which was chicken wire so not hugely relevant!)

Ehhhh... candles are a leading source of house fires because we tend to have carpets and curtains and materials with high plastic content in them in our homes. Outside it's wet and cold and I doubt they have their best Persian rug laying on their greenhouse floor.

Why is it different in a greenhouse?

Because it's a greenhouse

@eckhart the OP to have to shell out for a new fence? Inconvenience which is in no way the OP's fault?

I can’t see anything outdoors catching fire, it’s March and we’ve had more rain than anyone knew possible, I think that wet old greenhouse and your wet fence are safe enough