Lava Lamp Left on Hot Stovetop Explodes, Killing Man

CNN ^ | 11/30/2004 | CNN

[Calvin Locke]

I seem to recall they had a tendency to "go bad"; the lava would stop flowing right. Maybe he was trying to fix it.

I, myself, would have just replaced the light bulb.

But what do I know?

[Rockingham]

The 60's claims yet another victim.

[Oblongata]

"I seem to recall they had a tendency to "go bad"; the lava would stop flowing right. Maybe he was trying to fix it.

I think you're right. I had a lava lamp and they end up going all lumpy. I fixed mine safely though. I took off the bottle cap seal, and put it in a pot of boiling water. Fixed it right up. I happened to have a bottle capper at the time so I was able to reseal it.

I suspect he didn't take the cap off, and put it directly on the stove. He probably could have gotten away without unsealing it, but the glass couldn't handle the heat stresses from being put directly on the stove.