I've got hundreds of flights on mine, with no burning of the dowels. I coat my dowels with a bit of CA, mostly to resist soaking up fuel. I'm not saying it can't happen - I remember seeing a large Extra model land, at a field - when we walked up to the model, you could see a little wisp of something coming from the forward hatch - the dowels were smoldering!

So next time, you might want to bring some marshmallows when you head to the field!