El Cajon Fire Dept.: Candle Safety

Candle Safety

Basic Candle Safety Tips:

Never leave a burning candle unattended.

(Note): To avoid the following hazards consider using flameless - battery operated candles.

Do not burn candles on or near flammable materials.

Take action if you see excess soot.

Is there a draft? It could blow curtains into the burning candle.

Does the wick need shortening?
Trim wick to approximately 1/8 - 1/4"

Candles with a diamete of 3" or more could burn over a considerable time so that the wax becomes liquid up to the edge of the candle. A wax wall will be formed around the wick impairing the flame.

A slight curve of the wick is appropriate. Should one side of the candle become too low, push the wick slightly to the opposite side, but only if the wick is warm.

The above is from the Association of European Candle Manufacturers.

Candles don't cause fires, people cause fires. Burn your candles safely, use common sense.

More Candle Safety Tips

Taken from the IGCA (International Guild of Candle Artisans)

Candles are safe products, buy may become hazardous when used improperly or in an unsafe manner. National fire safety agencies report that the bulk of candle fire incidents in the United States are due to consumer inattention to basic fire safety or to the misuse of candles.

The National Candle Association recommends the following safety tips when burning candles:

Always keep a burning candle with sight. Extinguish all candles when leave 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 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 it it comes too closed to the holder or container.

For a margin of safety, discontinue burning a candle when 2 inched of wax remains (1/2 inch 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.

Warning labels for candles don't often tell "why" these specific actions are needed. We aim to tell you the why. We hope this will produce a more thorough knowledge of candle burning for our customers.

Always keep wicks trimmed to 1/4" (1/8" for jar candles).

This keeps the flame low which helps prevent sooting and makes the candle burn longer. The flame melts the wax, the liquid wax is what the flame uses (as fuel) to keep itself burning. The bigger the flame, the more fuel it needs. Your candles will burn up to 25% longer by trimming the wick every couple of hours.

Center the wick during the burn and re-center just after putting out the candle.

A lit wick that gets too close to the side of the container will crack the container, liquid wax will leak out. After the candle is put out, moving the wick to center will insure the candle burns evenly the next time its light. Once the wax hardens it's too late!

Keep burning candles away from children and pets.

Children need to know a candle is hot and is not a toy. Children and pets, both curious, may be intrigued by the flickering light. Keep candles far out of reach. Pets can knock the candle over or brush by the flame...singe the tail and catch fire to themselves or the curtains or, well, you get the idea.

Keep burning candles away from drafts or ceiling fans.

The flame needs stability. Flames that flicker can cause sooting. Breezes or drafts can cause the flame to burn erratically and cause the flame to not be as hot as it needs to be to burn off all the carbon and thus will produce soot. A nice even steady flame, ideally about 1/2" in height is perfect.

Never leave the house with a candle still burning.

Would you leave with the oven on, or the iron on, or the coffee pot on, or would you leave a campfire burning and walk out of the woods? If the candle was burning and you left the house, who would trim the wick?

Do not burn candles (even in holders) directly on furniture.

The candle holder or candle jar will get hot. The heat could mark up your furniture. Try putting it on a non-flammable coaster, or pad.

Keep burning candles far away from anything flammable.

If the window was open (which it shouldn't be if the candle is nearby) the breeze could blow your curtain right into the flame! Also, think about what is above the candle, like a shelf or cupboard, heat rises.

If the candle is smoking or sooting, trim the wick.

No one wants soot on their walls or ceiling. Candles left go for extended periods always need the wick trimmed. The smoking or sooting is most likely caused from the flame being too large, trim that wick, often PLEASE. Use soy candles for less soot.

Burn candles on sturdy, stable, flat, and level surfaces.

An end table in the middle of a high traffic area of the house is not a good place for a flame. It could get bumped into. Candles will burn down evenly if used on level surfaces.

Let the wax cool and harden before touching or moving the candle.

Liquid wax is very hot and messy. The container will be hot. Don't make the mistake of moving it and then your hand gets hot and bam! the candle goes down. Or candle wax splashes around in the container, very unsightly.

If the flame seems too weak, extinguish the candle and pour a little of the liquid wax out (never down the drain).

Don't be a stacker!

If you burn votives, always remove the metal clip that's left at the bottom when the candle is finished. Don't stack another votive on top of the wick clip. This will cause the votive candle to burn unevenly and the flame will get to close to the sides and crack the holder.

Please Think Safety In Everything You Do