Candle Safety
Did you know between 9,300 to 13,000 homes burn down each year due to candles? That’s a whopper of a number! Not to mention all of the lives lost, injuries, and millions of dollars in insurance claims. Don’t let this happen to you! Always follow the rules to burning candles! Here are some easy tips to make sure you and your family stays safe when burning candles:
Before lighting, make sure the wick in no longer than 1/4 inch long. If the end has opened up and now looks like a mushroom, trim off that part.
Set the candle on a fire retardant surface such as stone.
Always be within sight of the candle as it burns. Never leave a candle burning while you sleep or leave the room or house.
Never move a candle while it is burning. Hot wax can spill out on to your skin or carpet. Don’t even touch it. Spoiler alert- it’s hot!
Keep the candle free of debris. Never put anything in the candle. Dried flowers look pretty, but they are also highly flammable and WILL burn your house down.
Keep candles out of reach of children and pets.
Do not burn the candle all the way down. Your can use the extra wax at the bottom in your wax melter, but once you can see the bottom of the vessel when it is lit, its time to blow it out.
Do not burn any candle longer than 4 hours.
If the flame gets too high, the wick probably needs trimmed.
Be careful during power outages. This is the time MOST home fires start because people light candles in other rooms and forget about them. Do not do that. Keep candles lit only when you are in the room with them.
I hope this helps even 1 person to manage candle care better. It just might save your life.