Beware of candles!

5/13/2022 (Permalink)

The third most common causes of household fires are candles. The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) did a study between 2009 and 2013 where they tracked the number of fires reported each day. On average, 25 candle fires were reported each day during that time. Over the duration of the study, researchers noticed that annually, approximately 86 people die in fires and 827 people are injured each year.

The most common months for candle fires are January and December as they hold the winter holidays. Winter holidays are the most common time for candle fires with December at 12% and January at 10%. Fires during those months peak around Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Years Day. The reasoning for that is because these holidays are most commonly associated with using candles as part of religious practices or decorations. 20% of these fires started in the living room, family room, or den, while 8% were started in the dining room and 12% started in the kitchen.

Approximately 58% of fires started when flammable materials, such as furniture, mattresses/bedding, curtains, or decorations, were too close to the candle. 18% started when candles were left unattended or abandon. In 11% of the cases, fires started when people fell asleep attributing to 30% of candle fire related deaths. While only around 13% of candle users burn candles in the bedroom, about 36% of fires began in the bedroom.

Now to the fun part, how to prevent candle fires! The obvious, blow the candle you are burning out when you leave the room or go to bed. Also, avoid using candles in the bedroom or other areas where people sleep. Keep candles at least 12 inches away from materials that could burn. Flameless candles are also a safe alternative to burning candles because they look and smell the same.

While burning candles, use sturdy holders that won’t tip easily on uncluttered surfaces. When lighting candles, be sure to keep your hair and loose clothing out of the way. Blow the candle out before it gets too close to the bottom of the holder or container. In other words, don’t burn the candle all the way down. NEVER use a candle if there is an oxygen tank in use in the home. Finally, do not use candles in the event of a power outage, keep plenty of batteries on hand and use flashlights.

If a candle catches fire, not only will you have to deal with the fire burning but the thought of adding water to the mix from extinguishing that fire.

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