American Safety Zone - Candle Safety Tips

Candle Safety Tips

Candles are a very popular way to decorate. Now more than ever they are used in wall decorations, centerpieces and as part of ceremonies like weddings and at wedding receptions. But with this popularity comes more of a risk of fire if the appropriate candle safety tips aren't followed. If you love to decorate with candles, follow these candle safety tips.

Candle Safety Tips at Home

When you are decorating your home with candles, you have to be careful of where you place them. Otherwise, when you light them, problems can arise. Follow these candle safety tips to enjoy romantic candlelight in your home without incident:

When you light candles in a room, turn any ceiling fans off. You want to keep candles away from circulating air, vents or drafts to prevent them from smoking and to keep it from dripping excessively.
Don't burn a candle near anything that can catch fire.
Only burn candles in holders that are specifically made to do so.
Don't light a candle under a shelf.
Trim candlewicks to 1/4 inch each time before burning. Long or crooked wicks cause uneven burning and dripping.
Don't burn a candle where a pet or child can get to it.
Stop burning a candle when 2 inches of wax is left (1/2 inch if in a container).
Don't touch a candle holder when the wax is in liquid form.
Keep candles at least three inches apart.
Put candles out with a snuffer instead of blowing.
Finally--and this is probably one of the most important candle safety tips--never leave a burning candle unattended.

There are lots of jokes about birthday cakes having too many candles when someone gets older. But sometimes, too many candles on a cake that's too small can become a fire hazard. That's when you have too pull from your knowledge of fire safety in a hurry! If you have a birthday cake that's going to have a lot of candles, follow this candle safety tip: Make sure the cake is big enough to space the candles far apart. Not only will this prevent a fire, but it will make lighting the candles much easier. And speaking of lighting birthday candles, use a candle lighter with a long nozzle instead of matches or a cigarette lighter. You'll have less of a chance of singeing the hair on your arms that way--or worse!

Hopefully you've learned something about candle safety from our candle safety tips.