A compact portable freestanding stove, including: a burner, a fuel reservoir, a fuel supply line communicating between the fuel reservoir and the burner, a stop valve in the fuel supply line which is operable to control the supply of fuel from the fuel reservoir to the burner, and a normally open emergency shut-off valve in the fuel supply line which is operable to close the fuel supply line, wherein said emergency shut-off valve is operable to close the fuel supply line in response to the fuel pressure in the fuel reservoir, when said fuel pressure reaches a preset excess fuel pressure above a preselected normal operating fuel pressure; characterized in that the emergency shut-off valve includes: a valve housing having a through bore, a complementary valve plunger slidably mounted in the bore, said valve plunger being movable relative to the bore between an open position and a closed position, said valve plunger cooperating with the bore such that, in the open position, a fuel passage (17, 18, 27) through the bore is provided and in the closed position, fuel flow through the bore is prevented; the bore has a bore fuel inlet communicating with the fuel reservoir, the valve plunger has a fuel passage extending through the valve plunger with a valve plunger fuel inlet and terminating in a fuel outlet nozzle, said valve plunger fuel inlet being provided at a side wall of the valve plunger which slidably engages the bore, resilient seals (22, 23) being provided at each side of the valve plunger fuel inlet which are engagable between the valve plunger and the bore to prevent through passage of fuel between the bore and the valve plunger, and a fuel bypass recess in the bore which cooperates with the valve plunger to allow fuel to bypass the resilient seal located between the valve plunger fuel inlet and the bore fuel inlet when the valve plunger is in the open position. a burner, a fuel reservoir, a fuel supply line communicating between the fuel reservoir and the burner, a stop valve in the fuel supply line which is operable to control the supply of fuel from the fuel reservoir to the burner, and a normally open emergency shut-off valve in the fuel supply line which is operable to close the fuel supply line, wherein said emergency shut-off valve is operable to close the fuel supply line in response to the fuel pressure in the fuel reservoir, when said fuel pressure reaches a preset excess fuel pressure above a preselected normal operating fuel pressure; characterized in that the emergency shut-off valve includes: a valve housing having a through bore, a complementary valve plunger slidably mounted in the bore, said valve plunger being movable relative to the bore between an open position and a closed position, said valve plunger cooperating with the bore such that, in the open position, a fuel passage (17, 18, 27) through the bore is provided and in the closed position, fuel flow through the bore is prevented; the bore has a bore fuel inlet communicating with the fuel reservoir, the valve plunger has a fuel passage extending through the valve plunger with a valve plunger fuel inlet and terminating in a fuel outlet nozzle, said valve plunger fuel inlet being provided at a side wall of the valve plunger which slidably engages the bore, resilient seals (22, 23) being provided at each side of the valve plunger fuel inlet which are engagable between the valve plunger and the bore to prevent through passage of fuel between the bore and the valve plunger, and a fuel bypass recess in the bore which cooperates with the valve plunger to allow fuel to bypass the resilient seal located between the valve plunger fuel inlet and the bore fuel inlet when the valve plunger is in the open position. a valve housing having a through bore, a complementary valve plunger slidably mounted in the bore, said valve plunger being movable relative to the bore between an open position and a closed position, said valve plunger cooperating with the bore such that, in the open position, a fuel passage (17, 18, 27) through the bore is provided and in the closed position, fuel flow through the bore is prevented; the bore has a bore fuel inlet communicating with the fuel reservoir, the valve plunger has a fuel passage extending through the valve plunger with a valve plunger fuel inlet and terminating in a fuel outlet nozzle, said valve plunger fuel inlet being provided at a side wall of the valve plunger which slidably engages the bore, resilient seals (22, 23) being provided at each side of the valve plunger fuel inlet which are engagable between the valve plunger and the bore to prevent through passage of fuel between the bore and the valve plunger, and a fuel bypass recess in the bore which cooperates with the valve plunger to allow fuel to bypass the resilient seal located between the valve plunger fuel inlet and the bore fuel inlet when the valve plunger is in the open position.