This reproduction redware lamp is similar to lamps used by the Dutch colonists. Oil, tallow (rendered animal fat) and suet (raw animal fat) were all used as fuel for these lamps. Lamps such as these, as well as candles, were used as light sources and could easily start a fire.
Many of the colonists lived in houses with thatch roofs. Thatch is dried plant material and although it does not ignite any faster than other materials, once it is on fire, it is very difficult to put out.