This is from the "Metro In Brief" section, on Sunday, June 7, 1998, Page B03.
A Potomac wedding reception came to a sudden halt last night after a flash fire from an alcohol-fueled food warmer set a woman's dress afire and burned five people, according to the Montgomery County fire officials.
Two children and an adult were treated for non-life-threatening burns at Inova Fairfax Hospital, said Capt. Dan Gilman, a spokesman for the Montgomery County fire department. Another child and a catering employee were treated at the scene. The woman in the dress that ignited was not burned.
Gilman said a member of the catering team at Rockwood Manor, an upscale catering hall, was in the dining area lighting the wick of an alcohol burner when vapors ignited. He said a guest extinguished the fire with a fire extinguisher in "a matter of seconds."
Fire officials would not identify the victims or the hosts, saying the wedding party was embarrassed by the incident. It is under investigation.
(Correction: the catering personnel were not from Rockwood. Rockwood does not supply catering personnel or services, only the site itself, plus some tables and chairs. As far as we know, Rockwood staff did nothing wrong.)