How can a helium-filled ballon be the cause of a fire?

Reading the last statement of the news article above adapted from The Daily Guardian saddens me because it is already 2014 yet there are still so many misconceptions about Helium. My intention is not to blame anyone but the entire system on how we teach probably science.

From my recollection of basic Chemistry concepts, HELIUM IS NOT FLAMMABLE. How can it be the cause of a fire? How about the rubber or the balloon itself? If it caught fire, won't it deflate abruptly? Likewise, I don't think that a flame from a candle can raise the temperature of a balloon that fast. i can only surmise that the balloon was filled with a different gas, but not helium. I smell something here but never think it is helium because helium is odorless.

Now consider the Periodic Table of Elements below.


 photo  source

Helium is known as a noble gas. It is sometimes described as an inert gas. From my limited English, inert means nonreactive or stable. Again, how can helium be the cause of a fire?Note to self (and also to other science enthusiasts): I will make sure that I teach the basic science (Chemistry) concepts and interrelate it with its immediate use of learning.

Dugang nga mga pamangkot:


- Insa nagcandle lighting (kung nagsindi gid man sa gin aligar) pa tanda liwat sa kwarto tapos JS?
- Kung ang JS Prom isa na ka paghiwat ukon party, insa may post-prom party pa gid?
- Kung ang JS Prom pagtao kang responsibilidad halin sa senior paagto sa junior, diin nag apok ang responsibilidad nga amo ang una nga katuyuan sang JS Prom?
- Kung magasto na nga daan ang JS, insa magasto pa gid sa kwarto sa isa ka hotel nga mas barato iguan kung masugat sila tapso JS?
- Kung ginhikanan kaw insa waay kaw it dibir nga man-anon kung maano pa gid sanda tapos kang JS kag kung may pahinugot daya kang eskulahan?
- Insa nga gapanghalawhaw kaw sa gastos para sugaton kag siguraduhon nga makauli ya bata mo tapos JS? Mas importante bala ang kwarta nga kinuton kaysa sa tanduhay mo nga panghunahuna kung diin don ang MENOR DE EDAD mo nga bata?