Fire Prevention > Candle Safety

When burning candles in the home, use the following safety tips:

• Extinguish all candles when leaving the room or when going to sleep.
• Do not use candles where they can be knocked over by children or pets. Never leave children or pets unattended in a room with a candle.
• Don't allow children or teens to have candles in their bedrooms.
• Keep candles away from items that can ignite such as clothing, books, paper, curtains, Christmas trees, flammable decorations or anything else that burns.
• Always use candleholders, even for wide-based candles. They should be sturdy, large enough to collect dripping wax, and non-flammable.
• Avoid setting a candle on combustible material such as cardboard. Even glass can crack if heated to high temperatures; metal holders are recommended.
• Place candles on a secure piece of furniture.
• Do not place lit candles in windows where blinds or curtains can close over them.
• Keep candles and all open flames away from flammable liquids.
• Extinguish candles when they get within two inches of the holder.
• Keep wicks trimmed to 1/4 inch.
• When purchasing candles or centerpieces with candles, avoid those with material that could ignite either within the candle or at the base (potpourri, dried flowers, fabric, etc.).
• Avoid using greenery around the base of the candles.
• Use flashlights for temporary lighting in power outages, not candles. Keep plenty of fresh batteries on hand during thunderstorm seasons.
• Candles that burn quickly are more dangerous than ones that burn slowly and efficiently.

<< Back to Fire Prevention