Avoid Fire Damage from Candles

2/11/2021 (Permalink)

It only takes a second for a candle flame to catch and spread.

How to Avoid Fire Damage from Candles

There’s nothing like watching the flickering flames of a candle as they dance around a dark room, or just provide an extra flair of light along with the fragrance that scented candles emit. Just think about having a candle lit on the table next to you as you curl up in a chair to read a book on a snowy night. 

While candles are beautiful, they can also be dangerous. From 2014 to 2018, the National Fire Protection Association noted that there were an average of 7,610 home fires that were started by candles each year, resulting in $278 million in fire damage to the properties. 

Don’t stop buying candles, though. As long as you use them properly, you can prevent the fire damage that can be caused by candles. 

First, never leave a candle unattended. Even if you’re just stepping outside to check the mail, blow out the candle first, because you never know if you’ll wind up chatting with a neighbor for a few minutes. This is especially true if you have pets that are prone to knocking things over. That one trip to the mailbox could result in your cat batting at the candle jar and dropping the flame onto your carpet. 

Second, don’t place candles anywhere near dangly items, like window curtains that could waft into the flames in a breeze. 

Next, after you light a candle, run the blown out match under water before you throw it into the trash. This way, you’ll avoid any residual sparks from reigniting on the match when it comes in contact with paper or other objects in the trash.

Lastly, always blow out candles before you go to sleep. The thought of sleeping in candlelight may seem lovely, but the potential for fire damage and injury or loss of life is too high to take the risk. 

Even if a fire from a candle doesn’t burn down your house or apartment, there can be residual soot and smoke damage from the fire to your furnishings, clothes, and possessions that needs to be remediated. Contact the experts at SERVPRO of Danvers / Ipswich for an assessment and soot, smoke, and fire damage restoration.