Gorgeous, aromatic scents, beautiful botanicals and vibrant colours. With all that aroma goodness comes a naked flame so it's important you're aware of candle and wax melt fire safety before sparking a flame. Did you know that 85% of candle fires could have been avoided if consumers followed three basic safety rules:
Never leave a burning candle or wax melt unattended.
Never burn a candle or wax melt near anything that might easily catch fire.
Keep candles out of reach of children and pets.
Taken from the National Candle Association, follow this guide to ensure proper candle fire safety.
Before Lighting:
Long or crooked wicks can cause uneven burning, dripping or flaring. If needed, before burning always trim the wick to ¼ inch. You can use a wick trimmer, nail clippers, or scissors.
Keep the wax pool clear of wick trimmings, matches and debris at all times.
Always use a candleholder specifically designed for candle use. It should be heat resistant, sturdy, and large enough to contain any drips or melted wax.
Burn candles in a well-ventilated room:
Avoid drafts, vents or air currents. This will help prevent rapid or uneven burning, sooting, and excessive dripping.
Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations on burn time and proper use. In general, it is recommended that candles do not burn for longer than four hours and cool for at least two hours before relighting.
When lighting a candle, use long matches or a long-reach lighter. Keep your hair and loose clothing away from the flame.
While burning:
Never leave a candle unattended.
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.
Never touch or move a candle while it is burning or while the wax is liquefied.
Don’t burn a candle all the way down. For a margin of safety, discontinue burning a candle when 1/2 inch remains in the container or 2 inches if using a pillar candle.
Place burning candles at least three inches apart from one another. This is to make sure they don’t melt one another, or create their own drafts that will cause the candles to burn improperly.
Extinguish a candle if the flame becomes too high or flickers repeatedly. Let the candle cool, trim the wick, and check for unwanted drafts before re-lighting.
Never use a candle as a night light or while you may fall asleep.
Be very careful if using candles during a power outage. Flashlights and other battery-powered lights are safer sources of light during a power failure. Never use a candle during a power outage to look for things in a closet, or when fueling equipment – such as a lantern or kerosene heater.
When extinguishing a candle:
Use a candle snuffer to extinguish a candle. It’s the safest way to prevent hot wax from splattering.
Never use water to extinguish a candle. Water can cause the hot wax to splatter and might break a glass container.
Make sure the candle is completely out and the wick ember is no longer glowing before leaving the room.
Don’t touch or move the candle until it has completely cooled.
Never use a knife or sharp object to remove wax drippings from a glass holder. It might scratch, weaken, or cause the glass to break upon subsequent use.
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