"Oh, I haven't switched the lights on myself, must be a fire." ?

ehm -- wrong answer!

My god!...I've heard that riddle countless times but I never considered that possibility! It's.....why it's positively brilliant!

LOL

I don't want to answer because I don't want to post a riddle right now but lets just say I of all people should know this one. :D

you are making us curious!

He was the caretaker of a lighthouse.

Riddle me this...

*flings poo at Ungunbu*

no lights means no current and thus cant play video games and what is life worth without gaming ,so he kills himself

In all fairness this answer makes more sense.

A bit extreme, but true XD

He lives on a spaceship far from home and, returning from a mission outside, he understands that there is fatal power issue.
He decides to jump out in space instead of awaiting for a slow long death.

correct answer :)

Technicality alert!
Yes I'm a dork but....
Active lighthouses don't have caretakers they have light keepers.

Of course in the States I don't know if there are any more light keepers as all of them (I think all) have gone automated.

For bonus points (okay no points but I will be very impressed) and without Google, can anyone tell me the name of the first lighthouse in the U.S. to go totally electric?

If I was in a real world situation with those exact circumstances, I would take one of the ropes and fold it in half, then fold that in half again to find the spot on the rope at 25%/75% split, then I'd lay the rope out in a straight line flat on the ground and light a single match and place it at the 25/75 spot and let it burn. When it burns out completely 45 minutes is up as the one side of the burn will go for 15 minutes but the other side will go for 45 minutes. While I'm waiting, I'll tie the other rope to a tree branch directly above the burning rope, and swing back and forth across the fire like Pitfall Harry.