It’s the holiday season and one of the most popular gifts around this time is candles!  Not only are they beautiful, but they set ambiance and spread wonderful fragrances around your home during the holidays.  As beautiful as they are though, they also pose as potential threats for starting unwanted home fires.  According to www.nfpa.org, December is the peak time of year for home candle fires.  In December, 11% of home candle fires begin with decorations and holiday décor, compared to just 4% for the rest of the year.

The top three days for home candle fires are Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.  With that scary statistic being said, here are a few Candle Safety Tips for this holiday season…

• Never leave a burning candle unattended. Even if you’re just stepping away for five minutes, blow out candles when you leave the room.
• Blow out all candles before taking a nap or going to sleep for the night.
• Keep candles a safe distance away from anything that is flammable (generally, at least 12 inches away from anything that can burn is a good distance).
• Try to be aware of the surroundings, do not place candles on surfaces that are uneven or that are easily reachable to children or pets.
• Trim the wicks to at least one-quarter of an inch. This will prevent the flame from becoming too large.
• Keep in mind that when burning gel candles, if there is too much moisture in the gel, the candle will pop and splatter when it is heated.
• Make sure to use a sturdy base for the candles to prevent them from being easily knocked over.

There are other options to for setting ambiance rather than burning actual candles.  Consider using battery-powered candles instead of the real thing if you are concerned about candle safety.  As always, it is extremely important to have smoke detectors in your home that have been tested and work properly, especially outside of all sleeping areas.

***Please note our office will be closing early on Friday, December 11^th for our annual holiday party. We will resume normal business hours on Monday, December 14^th.

Happy Holidays from New Empire Group!