Candle safety

Candles are a growing cause of fire. By following these guidelines, you can reduce the risks that come with using candles.

Using candles safely in your home

Keep these safety tips in mind whenever you use candles at home:

always place candles in a dedicated purpose-made candle holder
always put them on a heat-resistant surface - and be especially careful with night lights and tea lights, which get hot enough to melt plastic; TVs are not fire-resistant objects
make sure they are held firmly upright by the holder so they won't fall over - the holder needs to be stable too, so it won't fall over either
don't put candles near curtains, or other fabrics or furniture - and keep them out of draughts
don't put them under shelves - make sure there's at least one metre (three feet) between a candle and any surface above it
keep clothes and hair away from the naked flame - if there's any chance you could forget a candle is there and lean across or brush past it, put it somewhere else
candles should always be placed out of the reach of children and away from areas that pets can get into
leave at least four inches (10 cms) between any two candles
extinguish candles before moving them and don't let anything fall into the hot wax, like matchsticks
don't leave them burning - you should extinguish candles before you leave a room; never go to sleep with a candle still burning and never leave a burning candle or oil burner in a child's bedroom
use a snuffer or a spoon to put them out - blowing them can send sparks and hot wax flying - and double-check that they’re completely out and not still smouldering