 "More home candle fires occur at this time of the year because
candles often are part of holiday decorating and traditions," said
Dave DeFraties, acting state fire marshal. "Understanding the
circumstances surrounding home candle fires can help in their
prevention."According to the National Fire Incident Reporting
System, there have been 141 candle fires in Illinois so far in 2009,
accounting for more than $2.6 million in property damage.
Here are some sobering facts and common situations concerning
these types of fires:
-
In December, 13
percent of home candle fires began with decorations, compared
with about 4 percent the rest of the year.
-
The top four days
for these types of fires are Christmas, Christmas Eve, New
Year's Day and New Year's Eve.
-
Four in 10 candle
fires start in the bedroom, and one in six start in common
rooms, living rooms, family rooms or dens.
-
Eleven percent of
the home candle fires start after someone falls asleep.
-
On average, nearly half the people
killed by candle fires in the home are younger than 20; children
ages 5 to 9 accounted for a disproportionate share of the
victims.
"Practice common sense when using candles in your home,"
DeFraties added. "Don't leave candles unattended, and set a timer in
periodic intervals as a reminder about burning candles."
[to top of second column] |
OSFM also offers these tips for safe candle use:
-
Use flameless
candles.
-
Extinguish all
candles when leaving the room or going to sleep.
-
Don't allow
children or teens to have candles in their bedrooms.
-
Keep candles at
least 1 foot away from things that can catch fire, such as
clothing, books, paper, curtains, Christmas trees or
decorations.
-
Place candles on
stable furniture and in sturdy holders that won't tip over and
are big enough to collect dripping wax.
-
Don't place lit
candles in windows, where they may ignite blinds or curtains.
-
Place candles only
in areas where they won't be knocked over by children or pets.
-
Extinguish taper
and pillar candles when they get within 2 inches of the holder
or decorative material. Extinguish votive and filled candles
before the last half-inch of wax starts to melt.
-
Avoid candles with embedded combustible
materials (leaves, flowers, etc.) or with holders or decorations
that could ignite.
For more information, visit
www.state.il.us/osfm or
www.nfpa.org.
[Text from
Office of the State Fire
Marshal file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information] |
