Candle fire safety

Using lit candles at home can be a fire hazard. They should be used and handled carefully following these candle-safe tips.

Wax candles can cause house fires and property damage if they are left burning unattended or placed too close to clothes or furnishings.

You can reduce the risks that exist with using candles by following these safety guidelines.

Candles that are tall and slim and lit

Top Tips

  • Never leave lit candles unattended.  
  • Put burning candles out when you leave the room, and make sure they’re out completely at night before you go to bed and not still smoldering, this includes incense and oil burners.  
  • Always put scented candles in a heat-resistant holder.  These candles are designed to liquify when heated to maximise fragrance – hot liquid will scald. 
  • Place your candles carefully, always keep candles away from children and pets – clothes, hair, and fur can catch fire in an instant.  
  • Never use a candle in a child’s bedroom.  
  • There’s a lot of heat above a burning candle.  If you put it under a shelf or other surface, then it can burn the surface.  Make sure there is at least 1 meter (three feet) between a candle and any surface above it.  
  • Many festivals and special events use candles – whether you are celebrating Diwali, Halloween or Bonfire night remember to extra take care with candles.  
  • You increase the risk of fire or injury if you move a candle while it is lit. 
  • Don’t let anything fall into the hot wax and leave them to cool down before you try to move them. 

Consider using battery-operated candles, they are much safer than wax candles; you can leave them unattended & you don’t have to worry about children & pets knocking them over. 

If you doze off while a flameless candle is on, it’s not a problem, you can also use them outdoors and they’re great for pumpkins!