There’s a special beauty and tranquility to candles, but a lighted candle is also an open flame, and a potential fire hazard if not carefully monitored.
According to the National Fire Protection Association –
- Most candle fires occur during December
- Half of all candle fires started when a flammable piece of décor including furniture, mattresses, bedding, curtains, home decorations, paper, and clothing were too close to the lit candle.
- In 21% of home candle fires, candles were either left unattended, discarded, or otherwise misused.
- 36% of home fires started in the bedroom and of those, 10% sleep was a factor.
A study by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission suggests that 85 percent of candle fires could be avoided if consumers followed three basic safety rules:
- Never leave a burning candle unattended.
- Never burn a candle on or near anything that might catch fire.
- Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets.
How to Burn a Candle Safely
Before Lighting:
- Before burning, always trim the wick to ¼ inch. You can use a wick trimmer, nail clippers, or scissors. Long or crooked wicks can cause uneven burning, dripping or flaring.
- Keep the wax pool clear of wick trimmings, matches and debris at all times.
- Always use a candleholder specifically designed for candle use. It should be heat resistant, sturdy, and large enough to contain any drips or melted wax.
Burn candles in a well-ventilated room:
- Avoid drafts, vents or air currents. This will help prevent rapid or uneven burning, sooting, and excessive dripping.
- Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations on burn time and proper use. In general, it is recommended that candles do not burn for longer than four hours and cool for at least two hours before relighting.
- When lighting a candle, use long matches or a long-reach lighter. Keep your hair and loose clothing away from the flame.
While Burning:
- Never leave a candle unattended.
- Never burn a candle on or near anything that can catch fire. Keep burning candles away from furniture, drapes, bedding, carpets, books, paper, flammable decorations, etc.
- Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets. Do not place lighted candles where they can be knocked over by children, pets or anyone else.
- Never touch or move a candle while it is burning or while the wax is liquefied.
- Don’t burn a candle all the way down. For a margin of safety, discontinue burning a candle when 1/2 inch remains in the container or 2 inches if using a pillar candle.
- Place burning candles at least three inches apart from one another. This is to make sure they don’t melt one another, or create their own drafts that will cause the candles to burn improperly.
- Extinguish a candle if the flame becomes too high or flickers repeatedly. Let the candle cool, trim the wick, and check for unwanted drafts before re-lighting.
- Never use a candle as a night light or while you may fall asleep.
- Be very careful if using candles during a power outage. Flashlights and other battery-powered lights are safer sources of light during a power failure. Never use a candle during a power outage to look for things in a closet, or when fueling equipment – such as a lantern or kerosene heater.
When Extinguishing a Candle:
- Use a candle snuffer to extinguish a candle. It’s the safest way to prevent hot wax from splattering.
- Never use water to extinguish a candle. Water can cause the hot wax to splatter and might break a glass container.
- Make sure the candle is completely out and the wick ember is no longer glowing before leaving the room.
- Don’t touch or move the candle until it has completely cooled.
- Never use a knife or sharp object to remove wax drippings from a glass holder. It might scratch, weaken, or cause the glass to break upon subsequent use.
Find more expert tips and information at Candles.org
Avoid a fire in your home over the holidays; follow these Red Cross decorating safety steps
The holidays are a wonderful time to get everyone together. Unfortunately, they can also mean a greater risk of a fire in someone’s home. This holiday season, the Cascades Region encourages everyone to follow simple steps to prevent home fires from holiday decorations.
“December is the peak time for home fires involving candles and holiday decorations,” said Red Cross Cascades Region CEO Priscilla Fuentes. “Help protect your family by using battery-operated candles, making sure you have working smoke alarms, and practicing your two-minute escape plan with everyone in your household.”
HOLIDAY DECORATING SAFETY TIPS Follow these safety tips and visit redcross.org/fire for more information. You can also download the free Red Cross Emergency app by searching “American Red Cross” in app stores.
- If you must use candles, keep them away from anything that could burn, and place them out of reach of pets and children. Never leave burning candles unattended.
- Check all holiday light cords to ensure they aren’t frayed or broken. Don’t string too many strands of lights together — no more than three per extension cord.
- Ensure outside decorations are for outdoor use and fasten lights securely to your home or trees. If using hooks or nails outside, make sure they are insulated to avoid an electrocution or fire hazard.
- If buying an artificial tree, look for a fire-resistant label. When putting it up, keep it away from fireplaces, radiators and other sources of heat. Never use electric lights on metallic trees.
- If getting a live tree, make sure it’s fresh and keep it watered. To test if the tree is fresh, bend the needles up and down to make sure no needles fall off.
- Don’t light the fireplace if hanging stockings or other decorations on the mantel.
Install smoke alarms on every level of the home and outside each sleeping area.Test them once a month and replace the batteries at least once a year. If you cannot afford to purchase smoke alarms or are physically unable to install one, the Red Cross may be able to help. Contact your local Red Cross for help.
HOME FIRE CAMPAIGN SAVE LIVES Since October 2014, the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, working with community partners, has saved at least 2,246 lives by educating families about fire safety, helping them create escape plans and installing free smoke alarms in high-risk areas across the country. To learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved, visit redcross.org/homefires.
About the American Red Cross: The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood and is the primary blood supplier to 65 hospitals throughout Washington and Oregon; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members, and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.
