Candle Safety

Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash

A candle light is a wonderful source of ambience and relaxation for the home. They also mark special occasions and celebrations making them have special meaning in ours lives. However when it comes to fire safety it is important to remember that a candle light is a naked flame which should be treated carefully.

A naked flame can quickly become a fire hazard when left unchecked. We’ve put together a comprehensive list of rules to help mitigate fire risks when it comes to fire safety and burning candles at home.

How to use candles safely 

Never leave a candle unattended
Be sure you put out any candles when you leave the room. 

Never sleep with a candle burning
Never go to sleep with a candle burning and never leave a burning candle or oil burner in a child’s bedroom
. To avoid accidents keep candles and other naked flames out of reach of children and pets.


Always burn candles on an even surface
Candles should always be used on a staple, even and on a heat-resistant surface where they won't be knocked over. 

Never burn a candle near flammable materials
Keep candles away from any flammable materials – for example curtains, furniture, clothes and hair Be especially careful of burning candles near materials that could easily catch fire in your home like collections of books, magazines or papers. 


Never burn a candle all the way down
Never burn a candle all the way to the bottom of the glass container. This will help ensure that the bottom of the candle gets too hot and scold or damage the surface that it rests on

Discard damaged candle glass containers
Never use a glass container if it’s cracked or chipped. A broken glass container means that your candle will not burn correctly and leaked candle wax could damage the surrounding surface of your home

Leave plenty of room between burning candles
Leave at least four inches (10cm) between two burning candles
 at any one time. This will avoid the candles heating each other and therefore burning faster or causing them to burn ineffectively

Avoid moving candles when in use
Never move a burning candle. Glass containers can get very hot during use which scold and become dangerous. Also, don’t let anything fall into the hot wax like matchsticks


Use candle tools to put out candles
Use a snuffer or a spoon to put out a burning candle. Not only will you avoid smoke and soot by doing so but it is safer than blowing them which can send sparks and hot wax flying


Double check candles are completely extinguished
Candles that have been put out can go on smouldering and can become a fire hazard. It is best to ensure that they are completely put out before leaving the room