Archive for the ‘Candle Safety’ Category
Use Common Sense When Decorating With Christmas Candles This Year
‘Tis the season to take care with decorations, candles
By MELISSA M. SCALLAN - mmscallan@sunherald.com
GULFPORT - The holidays usually are a joyous time of the year, but they can turn tragic if people don’t use caution when putting up Christmas candles and decorations.
With lights outside and on trees and with candles burning in the homes , fire always is a concern right now, Gulfport Fire Chief Pat Sullivan said.
Candle safety is important all year, but more people tend to burn candles during the holidays, he said.
“I’ve seen numerous fires that we’ve responded to because of candles,” he said.
People often put candles too close to flammable items, and sometimes the candles fall over, he said. Pets also jump on surfaces near candles and knock them over. Sometimes people forget to blow them out before leaving home or going to bed.
Hey Wait! This Has Nothing To Do With Candles! But A Nice Story Anyway
Candle Club keeps flame bright
The interior of the supper club is dim, though.
BY DENISE NEIL
The Wichita Eagle
Part of what makes the Candle Club the Candle Club is that its owner rarely agrees to talk about it in the media.
He doesn’t advertise the club, and he doesn’t actively recruit members.
Instead, owner Louis Thompson allows the Candle Club - a mysterious, throw-back supper club with carpet on the walls and no identifying sign on the building - to grow organically, building on a reputation developed during 50 years of business.
Use Your Candles through the Holidays. But Use Them Safely!
Candles can be dangerous
By Kim Y. Hylander, Department of Fire & Rescue
Candle fires are four times as likely to occur during the winter holidays, according to the United States Fire Administration. Between 2002 and 2005, candle fires were reported approximately every 34 minutes. Since the 1990s, home candle fires have tripled. Although the majority of these fires begins in the bedroom, candle fire deaths occur in other areas of the home, such as the living room, family room and den.
Reports indicate that 20 percent of candle fires were either unattended or abandoned, and more then 50 percent of those fires were due to combustible items such as furniture, mattresses, bedding, and decorations,being too close to the candle.
More Good Advice if your Mixing Halloween and Candles
Pumpkins, Candles Can Make Dangerous Mix |
Written by Sun Staff Reports Published: Thursday, 29 October 2009 |
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 Jack-o-lanterns trace their origins to the phenomenon of strange lights flickering over peat bogs, called ignis fatuus or fool’s fire. Although marsh gas likely caused the iridescent glow, the lights took on a life of their own and people began calling them “friars’” lanterns “or jack-o-lanterns.” The tradition led to the creation of these lanterns using pumpkins that were harvested around Halloween. Washington Irving assured the jack-o-lantern its place in history with his 1820 story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Most adults remember lighting their pumpkin creations with a candle. Votive candles, in clear glass candle holders make a safer, brighter flame and will last a lot longer than exposed candles of old, says Halloween Online Magazine. These candles are available at most department, hardware and art stores. |
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The Ultimate ‘Safe” Candle
Smarter candles: No match needed
Halloween By Judy Hevrdejs
Tribune Reporter
October 28, 2009
Candles illuminate our holidays and brighten the season’s longer nights, bringing a cozy glow into our homes. We love ‘em — in all shapes, sizes and scents.
What we don’t love? The drips on tablecloths, sooty residue, bits of wax stuck inside votive glasses and candle holders as well as the fire-safety issue.
A better solution may be battery-powered candles with flickering flames, with the flames courtesy of LED lights. The National Fire Protection Association, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit, recommends them for lighting carved Halloween pumpkins.
Use Some Common Sense When Using Halloween Candles
Oct 25, 2009 20:00 ET
Family Homes at Risk From Halloween Fires
MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM–(Marketwire - Oct. 25, 2009) - The traditional Halloween pumpkin can pose a serious fire hazard if left unattended, according to Swinton, the UK’s leading high street insurance retailer.
A survey of 1,000 homes found that 74% of families leave lit Jack-O-Lanterns on display in empty rooms, and a further 8% admitted to leaving the lantern precariously placed on windowsills where they could easily topple over and set fire to carpets or other soft furnishings. The risk of this is especially high when young children and pets are in the vicinity.
In 2007 candles resulted in 1,300(i) accidental fires in the UK, causing 26 deaths and during Halloween there is a surge in candle use as people decorate their homes for spooky celebrations.
More Good Advice on Candle Safety
5 things you should know … about candle safety.
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By Robert Barlow, staff writer
Penfield Post
Posted Oct 23, 2009 @ 01:00 PM
Rochester, N.Y. - .Last year, there were an estimated 1,451,500 reported fires in the United States, with an associated 3,320 deaths. Many of those were children.
“Candles may be pretty to look at, but they are a common cause of home fires - and home fire deaths,” Cuff said. “Remember, a candle is an open flame, which means that it can easily ignite anything that can burn.”
As October is National Fire Safety Awareness Month, we asked Cuff to provide us with five things you should know about candle safety.
1 Care
If you do burn candles, make sure that you use candle holders that are sturdy and won’t tip over easily. Put candle holders on a sturdy, uncluttered surface. Light candles carefully. Keep your hair and any loose clothing away from the flame.
2 Children
Never leave a child alone in a room with a burning candle. Keep matches and lighters up high and out of children’s reach, in a locked cabinet.
3 Precautions
Don’t burn a candle all the way down - put it out before it gets too close to the holder or container. Never use a candle if oxygen is used in the home.
4 Nighttime
Blow out all candles when you leave the room or go to bed. Avoid the use of candles in the bedroom and other areas where people may fall asleep. Keep candles at least 12 inches away from anything that can burn.
5 Alternatives
Think about using flameless candles in your home - they look and smell like real candles. Have flashlights and battery-powered lighting ready to use instead of candles during a power outage.
Light 1 Candle, Light 2 Candles - Whichever. Let us Remember 9/11
LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
Remembering the fallen,
Respecting the President
Roberta Newman, Las Vegas
Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009 | 2:03 a.m.
A few days after 9/11, we were asked to put a candle in our window to honor the lives lost.
My 3-year-old granddaughter asked why I was doing that. I told her our country had a bad boo-boo and we are all making a wish for it to get better.
Every anniversary of 9/11, I still light a candle for those who died on that day and for all our young military people who have lost their lives or have been injured.
I’m amazed to read that there are people in this country who objected to the president giving a speech to children on their first day of school - a man who is the best example of what education and determination can accomplish.
I’ve read the signs and heard the screaming protests against our president, but this is beyond belief.
This 9/11, I will light two candles. One will be in memorial to those lost and one will be to make a wish for those of us still here.
Candle Holders - A Study of Flame and Light
A candle holder is a strange home accessory. It is designed to be a container for fire, a place to store and display the illumination of flames, through the holding of candles. This means that when you choose to purchase a candle holder you can’t look at it in the void. You have to be attentive to its relationship to the flame, to light, even to heat, and the way all of these factors will affect the ro
om where they are placed.
The first thing you should contemplate is how the light from the candle will fall on the holder itself. Some materials such as glass or crystal will refract the light, glowing under its gentle ministrations. Other materials are opaque, and will absorb the light of the flame. These include certain types of hardwood, slate, or bone.
Another thing to consider is how the candle holder will fit in with the rest of the space. Does it match the room it is being placed into in style and color? Does it clash with the existing elements in the room? Does it look out of place?
You should also consider the way shadow will fall on the space. When a candle flickers it will cast a glow. In the absence of this glow, shadows will be created. These shadows can be warm companions to the space, or evil demons that lurk over everything. However it is difficult to plan for the way shadows will fall, until you have actually placed a candle in the space.
Another aspect of candle holder decorating is that it can be quite romantic. The soft ambient glow can cast a subtle light on a space, which can create an intimate atmosphere that is quite romantic.
Decorating with candle holders is about not only the way the piece will actually look in the space, but is also about how it will look when a candle rests in its crown. It is important to take all of this into consideration when choosing a piece for the home.
Candle Burning Tips to get the Most out of Your Burning Candles
Candles help create a warm and inviting atmosphere in many homes, offices, and even some four star hotel suites. Candles are a joy to burn, and many families use the lighting of the candles in their homes as an end of the work/school day ritual. For these families the lighting of the candle symbolizes the beginning of their time together for the day and a time to forget the stress and the hassle from work or school.
Few things make a home as cozy as a burning candle, and even fewer things can make a home smell as wonderful as scented candles. Whether you are burning a Juicy Apple jar candle, an Evening Mocha cake candle, or any of our other great candles, there are several things you should consider when lighting the candle to ensure it is a safe and enjoyable experience.
Gold Edge Hurricane Lamps
First things first. Be sure to place your candle (even jar candles) on a heat resistant surface, such as a metal candle pan, away from curtains, gas stoves, and other flammable materials. Don’t burn your candles as “stand alones”. Use a carefully chosen candle holder such as a candle lamp or a candle lantern. It is highly recommended that you place your candles and candle holders where pets and children cannot be hurt by them or knock them over. Try to keep your candles and candle holders away from opening and closing doors and ceiling fans because a draft can cause your candle to burn unevenly and inefficiently. Hurricane lamps are aptly named. Use a glass skirted candle holder, like a hurricane lamp in drafty or slightly breezy conditions.
If you are burning a jar candle that came with a lid do not use the lid to snuff out the candle. The lids are primarily decorative and are not made to withstand the heat of a burning candle. It is always best to gently blow out your candles; just don’t blow too hard and splatter the melted wax!
The most important thing to remember when burning a candle is to use common sense. If you think it isn’t in a safe spot, move it. If you don’t think you’ll remember to blow it out, leave yourself a note by your bed. Never leave a burning candle unattended, and always remember safety first.