TIFU by having a messy lab bench.

This happened approx a year ago. So as a graduate student I spend most of my time in the lab. Needless to say, there's plenty of stuff that can go wrong and end up being a TIFU story - from sharp scissors, to dangerous chemicals, to expensive equipment and so on.

So my lab bench usually is reasonably tidy. And it was the same on that rainy day a year ago. I had to do some stuff which involves using an alcohol burner. It's basically something like a candle that runs on burning alcohol. So I've lit the fire and am doing my stuff, till I need to reach for something on a shelf. Being clumsy at the worst possible moment, I knock a small box over from the shelf..

It falls and, obviously, lands on my burner and knocks it over. Now, you can probably appreciate that once spilled that alcohol burns REALLY well (think petrol or bbq lighter fluid). So within an eyeblink my whole desk is on fire and I am just staring at it like a deer in the headlights.

Obviously, I want to put it out. If not for anything else, than my nicely handwritten protocol that is starting to catch fire too. I reach for the closest spray bottle and, thank god, my common sense kicks in and I realize that there's more alcohol in it. Spraying it on fire - not a good idea.

So I just randomly stomp on the flames with my hands (thankfully I have lab gloves on). Gracious, I know. I guess most of the alcohol just burns out and the fire stops. Few people have gathered and are asking, if I am okay. I am fine, apart from the embarrassment of being THAT GUY who set the lab on fire. The whole lab smells of smoke and I am praying to god that the fire alarm doesn't go off because then the whole building has to be evacuated (five floors, lots of unhappy people).

The fire alarm didn't go off. Which, in retrospect, slightly concerns me. But I guess this won't happen again as I've decided that I can do whatever I was doing without using the alcohol burner and risking setting myself or others on fire.

TL;DR: Worked with an alcohol burner. Had a messy lab bench, knocked something over that hit the burner and set my desk on fire. Not recommending, would not do that again.