Holiday candles can cause house fires
Exercise caution when decorating this holiday season

Candles are a beautiful and popular way to decorate for the holiday season, but candles must be used with extra caution. Between 2000 and 2004, an estimated 20,900 home fires were caused by candles, claiming 200 lives, injuring 1,790 people, and resulting in $459 million in property damage. Of these, 38 percent of home candle fires started in bedrooms, most frequently because the candle was too close to combustible materials. Candle fires often start when items like mattresses, bedding, curtains, cabinetry, or furniture are ignited.

• Take care when lighting and decorating with candles by following these steps:
• Remember that lit candles are fire. Keep them at least 12 inches from anything that can burn, such as curtains, bedding, mattresses, paper, books, flammable decorations, clothing, and upholstered furniture.
• Always extinguish candles before leaving the room or going to bed. Do not leave a room before blowing out all candles.
• Use candle holders that are sturdy, won’t tip over easily, are made from a material that cannot burn, and are large enough to collect dripping wax.
• Place candles where they cannot be reached or knocked over by pets and children.
• During an emergency, always use flashlights and not candles as light sources.
• Never leave a child unattended in a room with a candle. And keep all matches and lighters out of reach and out of sight of children.
• Keep all lit candles and other open flames away from any flammable liquids.
• Smoke alarms save lives. Install a smoke alarm on every level of your home and use the test button to check each alarm each month. Replace all batteries at least once a year.

Visit www.redcross.org/homefires for more information on how to keep your home fire safe.

About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization—not a government agency—and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.
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