It turns out that a lit candle is also illegal at the springs. Six rangers were down at the springs on Saturday evening to ensure that everyone hit the trail out before dusk.
We briefly discussed the candle wax situation and they made it clear that under the current regulations a lit candle would be considered an open fire and that a citation could be issued.
So in addition to being cited for day use only, a non-compliant person with a candle could get a second citation for an open fire. Is non-compliance worth the risk in addition to the posibility of causing the place to be shut down to all use?