Tips for Candle-Burning Safety
Truly a universal home accent, scented candles hold a widespread appeal for people of all ages, races, and occupations. Anyone can enjoy their visual appeal and soothing ambiance with minimal preparation, although certain precautions should be taken to ensure a safe, sentient candle burning experience.
According to the National Candle Association, approximately 18,000 fires are attributed to candles each year. The wide majority of these could have been easily prevented by observing proper burning techniques. Below, we’ve compiled a quick list of some of the most important considerations to keep in mind before setting your wicks aglow:
- Before lighting your candle, make sure someone will be in close proximity for as long as the flame will be burning. If you leave the room, extinguish the flame first. Never leave a candle burning while sleeping.
- If you’re burning a scented candle that’s not self-contained, be sure to place it in a non-flammable candleholder or on a heat-safe surface to catch the melted wax and prevent the risk of fire.
- Keep lit candles at a safe distance from anything that might accidentally catch fire, such as plants, curtains, bedding, books, or other flammable items.
- Avoid burning candles in very small spaces or non-ventilated rooms.
- To prevent burning candles from getting inadvertently knocked over, don’t leave them within reach of children or pets, and avoid placing them on unsteady or small surfaces.
- To prevent smoke, soot, and dripping wax, keep candle wicks trimmed to approximately ¼” in length. After trimming, remove any snipped wicks instead of letting them fall into the candle. One sign that a wick needs trimming is an excessively long or wild flame.
- Use the candle’s size to determine its maximum burning duration. As a general rule, a candle should burn for 1 hour for each inch of diameter to help ensure clean, even burning of the wax.
- Avoid placing scented candles near open windows, ceiling fans, or any source of drafts to prevent uncontrolled flames or the blowing of flammable items into the candle.
- When grouping candles together, be sure to leave adequate space between them to allow for proper ventilation and to prevent the excess heat from melting the adjacent candles.
- Know when to extinguish a flame. When there’s only an inch or two of remaining wax, you should retire the candle rather than burning it to the very bottom. Another clue that a candle should be snuffed is excess sputtering or an uncontrolled flame, which can indicate a defective candle.
- When it’s time to put out the flame, do so properly. A candle snuffer or a wick dipper is the best way to extinguish a candle, as blowing can produce excess smoke or cause hot wax to spill out of the candle. Water should never be used to put out a flame, as it can cause a hot jar or candle container to crack.
According to the National Fire Incident Reporting System, nearly 85% of fires involving candle flames were the result of improper burning, lack of supervision, or contact with flammable items. Educating yourself on proper burning techniques can help to minimize dangerous situations. Following our recommended tips will help to ensure that your scented candles burn safely and cleanly.
Topics: Candle Safety |