Liquid fuel burning torch system with automatic fuel replenishment and flame extinguishment

A liquid fuel burning torch system that includes automatic refueling of one or more torches and automatic extinguishing of the torches, the liquid fuel burning torch system comprising:

• a central fuel reservoir configured to contain a flammable liquid fuel;
• at least one torch, each of said torches having a substantially enclosed interior and a local fuel reservoir located within said interior, the local fuel reservoir being configured to contain a local quantity of said liquid fuel, each of said torches further comprising a combustion area exterior to the torch and configured for burning said liquid fuel when drawn by a wick from said local quantity into said combustion area;
• and
• a torch refueling system comprising:
• a torch plumbing system that provides liquid communication between the central fuel reservoir and the standpipes, thereby providing liquid communication between the central fuel reservoir and the local fuel reservoirs of said torches;
• a plurality of standpipes in liquid communication with the torch plumbing system and with the torches, each of said torches being supported by one of the vertical standpipes;
• a fuel pumping system comprising at least one pump;
• and
• a controller that is configured, when the torches are in use, to maintain fuel within the local fuel reservoirs of the torches by causing the fuel pumping system to pump the fuel in a forward flow direction from the central reservoir through the torch plumbing system and the standpipes to the local fuel reservoirs of each of the torches;
• the torches, while interconnected with each other by the torch plumbing system and standpipes, being otherwise structurally independent and separate from each other and from the central reservoir;
• said controller being further configured to extinguish the torches by causing the fuel pumping system to reverse the flow direction of the fuel in the torch plumbing system and standpipes, so that the fuel is pumped from the local fuel reservoirs of the torches through the standpipes and the torch plumbing system to the central fuel reservoir, thereby at least partially emptying the local fuel reservoirs of the torches.