Keeping Candles Safe

A little common sense can help prevent fire.

Growing up in her native Germany, Sigrid Blome-Eberwein, M.D., enjoyed a rich tapestry of holiday traditions. Among the most memorable: candles on the Christmas tree—real candles. It was then that she learned one of the first rules of candle safety.

“We never left the room with candles burning,” says Blome-Eberwein, a surgeon in the Burn Center at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “There was always someone watching the tree.”

Candles on the tree are no longer common, but candles in the home certainly are. “Seven out of 10 households use candles for atmosphere or aromatherapy,” says Joanne McLaughlin of the Burn Prevention Foundation in Allentown. Candle fires have reached an all-time high. Some 36 percent of home fires can be traced to burning candles left unattended or inadequately controlled.

“Unfortunately, people take candle safety for granted,” McLaughlin says, “and that’s when accidents can happen. Never forget that a candle is an open flame!”

During the holidays, candle sales peak and home candle fires double, she says. That doesn’t mean you have to give up enjoying candles altogether. It does mean you need to use a little common sense:

• Never leave a burning candle unattended.
  
• Never reach over an open flame, especially if you’re wearing loose-fitting clothes.
  
• Keep lit candles out of reach of children and pets.
  
• Keep candles away from flammable items such as curtains, paper, Christmas trees, greens and dried natural decorations.
  
• Trim candle wicks to 1/4-inch before lighting.
  
• Make sure candles fit securely in a noncombustible holder with a broad base appropriate to the candle’s height and width.
  
• Extinguish candles when they get within 2 inches of the candle holder.
  
• When selecting a poured
  candle in a glass jar, make sure the glass is fairly thick.
  
• Refrain from drinking alcohol around lit candles. Drinking can lead to carelessness and injury.

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