Why would a tabletop Ethanol fireplace not ignite or light up even if the canister is full of fuel?

There could be two things:

1. Are you using the appropriate fuel? If you went to a hardware store and purchased denatured alcohol instead of Ethanol fuel, it may not work.
2. If it is the correct fuel, it may be too cold. Ethanol stored below room temperature doesn’t ignite well.

If it is neither of these things, we recommend covering the fuel-filled fireplace with the damper tool to allow the vapors to “collect” for about 15 minutes to see if that helps to ignite it.