How to Make Rainbow Fire

Do NOT use methanol for demonstrations involving fire.

Seriously, no debate, no maybe, no 'ifs'.

Just don't use methanol at all.

And Heet absolutely is methanol. Their SDS says so. (Interestingly, it actually says it's 100% methanol; between 0.0006-0.0012% some second, proprietary ingredient; and between 0.0001996-0.0003996% some third, also proprietary ingredient.)

Some safety notes from that SDS...

• Highly flammable liquid and vapor - H225
• Keep away from heat, sparks, open flames, and/or hot surfaces. - No smoking. P210
• Ground and/or bond container and receiving equipment. - P240
• Use explosion-proof electrical/ventilating/lighting/equipment. - P241
• Use only non-sparking tools. - P242
• Take precautionary measures against static discharge. - P243
• Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product. - P270
• Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area. - P271
• Container may explode when heated.
• Vapor explosion hazard indoors, outdoors or in sewers.
• HIGHLY FLAMMABLE: Will be easily ignited by heat, sparks or flames.
• Most vapors are heavier than air. They will spread along ground and collect in confined areas (sewers, basements, tanks).
• Vapors may form explosive mixtures with air.
• Vapors may travel to source of ignition and flash back.
• Structural firefighters' protective clothing will only provide limited protection.
• Move containers from fire area if you can do it without risk.
• LARGE FIRES: Cool containers with flooding quantities of water until well after fire is out.

Seriously, just last week I was at the National Science Teachers Association's national conference in Atlanta listening to a presentation about lab safety. One of the opening statements was that we all know not to do the rainbow demonstration but that there's more to lab safety.

It was just an assumed, opening bit of knowledge that we should've ever do the rainbow demonstration with methanol. There wasn't any explanation given because it should be that obvious. There wasn't even an explanation of what the rainbow demonstration was because it's apparently chemistry teacher res ipsa loquitur knowledge.