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Home Fires From Candles
During 2005, an estimated
15,600 home structure fires started by candles were reported to
local fire departments. These fires resulted in an estimated 150
civilian deaths, 1,270 civilian injuries and an estimated direct
property loss of $539 million. Homes include dwellings, duplexes,
manufactured housing and apartments.
Facts and figures
- Although home candle fires fell 8% from 2004 to 2005, more
than twice as many were reported in 2005 as in 1990.
- Candle fires accounted for an estimated 4%
of all reported home fires in 2005.
- Thirty-eight percent (38%) of home candle
fires started in the bedroom, resulting in 41% of the associated
civilian deaths.
- December is the peak time of year for home candle fires. In
December, 13% of home candle fires began with decorations compared
to 4% the rest of the year.
- More than half of all candle fires started when something that
could burn, such as furniture, mattresses or bedding, curtains, or
decorations, was too close to the candle.
- Falling asleep was a factor in 12% of home
candle fires and 26% of the associated deaths.
- The top five days for home candle fires were Christmas,
Christmas Eve, New Year’s Day, New Year’s Eve, and Halloween.
Source: NFPA's
"Home Candle Fires" report by Marty Ahrens, September 2007.
http://www.nfpa.org/catalog/home/index.asp
Candle Safety Tips
Always keep a burning candle
within sight. Extinguish
all candles when leaving a room or before going to sleep.
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.
Read and carefully follow all
manufacturer instructions.
Trim candlewicks to 1/4 inch each
time before burning. Long or crooked wicks cause uneven burning and
dripping.
Always use a candleholder
specifically designed for candle use. The holder should be heat
resistant, sturdy and large enough to contain any drips or melted
wax. Be sure the candleholder is placed on a stable, heat-resistant
surface.
Keep burning candles away from
drafts, vents and air currents. This will help prevent prevent
rapid, uneven burning, smoking and excessive dripping. Drafts can
also blow lightweight curtains or papers into the flame where they
could catch fire. Ceiling fans can cause drafts.
Keep the wax pool free of wick
trimmings, matches and debris at all times.
Do not burn a candle for longer
than the manufacturer recommends.
Always burn candles in a
well-ventilated room.
Extinguish the flame if it comes
too close to the holder or container. For a margin of safety,
discontinue burning a candle when 2 inches of wax remains (1/2inch
if in a container). This will also help prevent possible heat damage
to the counter/surface and prevent glass containers from cracking or
breaking.
Never touch or move a votive or
container candle when the wax is liquid.
Extinguish pillar candles if the
wax pool approaches the outer edge.
Candles should be placed at least
three inches apart from one another. This is to be sure they don’t
melt one another, or create their own drafts that will cause the
candles to burn improperly.
One of the safest ways to
extinguish a candle is to use a candle snuffer, which helps prevent
hot wax from spattering.
Do not extinguish candles with
water. The water can cause the hot wax to spatter and can cause
glass containers to break.
Flashlights and other
battery-powered lights are much safer light sources than candles
during a power failure.
Never use a candle as light when
you go into a closet to look for things.
Never use a candle for light when
fueling equipment such as a lantern or kerosene heater.
Source National Candle Association
http://www.candles.org/UseAndSafety/candlesafetytips.htm
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