Light DANGER

i am just wondering if there is any concievable way in the vast abyss of probability, that a couple of cfls could start a fire, if left on 24/7 also there is a small fan going, they are inside a box aproximately 2 and a half feet long and 1 and a half tall.

Im not sure, but according to Murphy's Law.....

The answer is YES. Can the bulbs themselves cause the fire?--> highly unlikely. Fire's caused by CFL's are most likely faulty wiring and user error. IE, usinga 150 Watt bulb in a socket that only supports 60 Watts...but I've had no problems with that exact set-up. Just use common sense judgement, and be careful!!

just make sure they arent touching anything flammable. like tenn said, if they cause a fire then it would most likely be form faulty wiring. ive left cfls on 24/7 for weeks at a time and they never get too hot to touch

how would i make sure there isnt any fualty wiring, and how do i know how much wattage my socket supports, do normal ones support 60? i want to make sure that it is completely safe, and there is no possibility of anything happening. thanks.

Most lighting fixtures have a wattage rating on them some where. Either stamped someplace in the metal or a sticky tag somewhere. If your lighting fixture is old it may not be marked. Avoid using fixtures that look abused or too old. Wattage rating is directly related to the size of the electrical wires carrying the electricity. If the cord is skinny it won't handle much juice before it starts heating up. If the cord is nice and fat it can handle quite a bit more. If the cord is as big as your pinky it will handle about 1500W.

BTW.... most fixtures will handle 60W. Anything that won't handle 60W is starting to get into the "night-light" category.

if i have had these lights on for a while now constantly does it mean that nothing will happen?

No one can predict the future. Use common sense.