Candles have become very popular over the last ten years. The industry is a $2 billion industry. The large variety of shapes, sizes, colors, containers, and fragrances offered have contributed to their popularity and wide use in nearly every room of the house. Seven out of ten homes in the U.S. use candles throughout the year to decorate, create a desired mood, celebrate, add fragrance, mask odors and generate light.

During 2005, candles in U.S. homes caused an estimated 15,600 reported structure fires, 150 deaths, 1,270 injuries, and $539 million in estimated property damage.

The winter holiday season is a peak time for candle burning as we take part in end-of-year holiday celebrations.  Historically, the number of home candle fires in December increases by more than 50% compared to other months of the year. Start implementing safe habits for candle use throughout the year. Never underestimate the damage that a small flame can do.

• Extinguish candles before you leave the room or go to bed.
• Keep candles at least 12 inches away from anything that can catch fire such as flammable decorations, curtains, carpets, books, papers and Christmas trees.
• Burn candles on a heat-resistant surface in a stable, non-flammable container that grips or holds the candle securely, can catch any drips or melted wax, and is not subject to cracking or breaking when heated (tempered).
• Keep wicks trimmed to ¼  inch.
• Extinguish a candle if it smokes, flickers repeatedly, or the flame becomes too high.

Consider Flameless Candles

• Extinguish taper and pillar candles when they burn to within two inches of the holder and votive and container candles before the last half inch of wax begins to melt.
• Keep candles away from flammable liquids and never use one to check a pilot light or when fueling equipment such as a kerosene heater or lantern. The flame could ignite the fumes into flame. Flashlights and other battery-powered lights are much safer light sources than candles during a power failure.
• Always burn candles in a well-ventilated room but away from drafts, vents and air currents to help prevent rapid, uneven burning, smoking, and excessive dripping. Drafts can also blow lightweight curtains or papers into the flame where they could catch fire.
• Don’t allow teens to have candles in their bedrooms. Forty percent of candle fires start in the bedroom.

Guest “Line of Duty” Author: Fire Marshal Alan Perkins, CFPS, Washington Township Fire Department, Dublin, Ohio. For more information, contact: Leslie Dybiec, Public Information Officer Phone: (614) 652-3928 Fax: (614) 766-2507 or ldybiec@wtwp.com.

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Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making fire safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. Live Safe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable.  Live Safe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.