Candle Safety Considerations

Candles provide a warm ambiance for an intimate dinner, a sparkling decoration for a birthday cake  or a nice scent for your home. Ambiance aside, candles can be a fire hazard if they are left  unattended or placed where they can start other objects on fire. If you enjoy candles, here are some Candle Safety Considerations.

• Always blow out candles before leaving the house, going to bed or leaving the room in which a  child or pet is present. 
• Do not allow children to light candles in their bedrooms unsupervised. 
• Never light candles when you are under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. 
• Use nonflammable, stable candleholders or hurricane glass holders to hold candles and protect  open flames.  
• Place candles on a stable surface where they cannot be knocked over easily or reached by  children or pets. 
• Place candles away from flammable items such as drapery, sheets, towels and carpeting. 
• Do not throw a used-up candle in the trash to extinguish it. Instead, blow it out and then wet the  wick before tossing it out. 
• Do not place candles on a Christmas tree or on evergreens during the holidays, because they  could start the limbs or pines on fire.  

Keep Fire Hazards Away From Kids

Since matches and lighters are also a major fire hazard, keep these items in a cabinet out of your  children’s reach. Teach your kids that candles, matches and lighters are not toys, and should be  used only by an adult who knows how to use them safely. 

For more home safety guidance and homeowners insurance solutions, contact Hood Insurance today.