potpourri killed the radio star

our apartment building almost burned down last night thanks to some a-hole on the first floor. i'm not sure what happened, but i speculate that the same person who was heating some sort of nasty anise scented potpourri on their stovetop was the same person who forgot to turn off said stove once going to bed. why do people feel the need to boil a large pot of sticks, leaves, and seeds during the holidays?