Gurney -

The cute little antique desk I used as a high school kid has a rather large charred spot on the bottom drawer, because I used to use a 100W light bulb between my knees to keep the toes warm while I homeworked deep into the night.

Even a 60W bulb (or smaller) can start a fire quite easily if placed too close to something flammable, so caution is advised.

We typically leave lights on when away from the house, for safety, and it's taken me years to (I think) train everyone to NEVER LEAVE A LAMP turned on. The pets can't knock over a ceiling fixture - except under quite unusual circumstances - but any "self standing" device could be tipped during one of their political rallies or religious ceremonies, which they seem to hold quite regularly in our absence.

John