That said the previous posters statement that the lack of familiarity is
what makes them dangerous rings true to me. Be advised that it heresy
for a firefighter to say this but I think that combustible liquid fueled
lanterns and solid candle lanterns could be used safely. The thing I
will argue against is bringing any flammable liquid fuel inside your
home. On that basis Kerosene is OK in a non breakable reservoir lantern
but coleman fuel, white gas, naphtha or any other fuel that will readily
ignite in it's liquid state without a wick or preheating should not be
brought inside your home. The Britelyt genuine Petromax lanterns are a
wonderful disaster preparedness light because they will burn almost any
combustible or flammable liquid from bio diesel to alcohol. Plan ahead
for the use of lanterns and have a safe place to hang them out of the
reach of children and away from common combustibles. You can also have
fixed propane and natural gas mantle lanterns anywhere you have a gas
supply.

I agree that open candles are bad. Candle lanterns, though, I like.

For what it's worth, kerosene and most other commercial
lamp-fuels tend to continue to burn if you break the
container or knock it over. Olive oil, by contrast,
has a low-enough volitility that it will generally go out.

If you can find a lantern that will work with olive oil,
use that in preference even to kerosene.

Lard or Crisco in a metal container on a ceramic plate
plate will make a pretty good grease-lamp, If you're
caught totally unprepared.