Southborough Fire Department reminds you to be careful with candles

My sister-in-law’s lovely Thanksgiving table

If you’re anything like me, your holiday decorating includes a whole lot of candles. And in light of the fact that a candle caused a small fire at a house on East Main Street a few weeks back, now seems like a good time to refresh ourselves on candle safety.

These tips come courtesy of the Southborough Fire Department.

Burn candles inside a one foot circle of safety, an area free of anything that could come in contact with the flame and burn
Use candles in the center of an area one-foot in diameter free of anything that could burn, such as decorations, curtains that could blow around, other items on a table or bureau.  Use a sturdy metal, glass, or ceramic container.

Stay away from using lighted candles in decorative candle holders which contain dried vegetation, and other flammable decorations
Candle holders are not regulated. Unfortunately, many candle holders purchased by craft makers are made of, or decorated with highly flammable materials.

Stay in the same room with burning candles; never leave them burning unattended
Most candle fires start when they are left burning unattended.  Don’t leave a candle burning out of your sight when you fall asleep at night.

Use candles out of reach of children and pets
Many candle fires are started when pets knock them over, or when children touch or play with them.

Keep all matches and lighters out of reach of children
Store in a high cabinet, preferably a locked one.  You wouldn’t leave a loaded gun lying around and a lighter can be just as dangerous in a child’s hand.

Teach everyone in the family the rules of safe candle use
Children, teenagers, grown-ups, and older adults should know the rules of safe candle use..

Candle fires have tripled in Massachusetts over the past decade!
Candle use has risen greatly in the past decade, but unfortunately so have candle fires.  They have more than tripled in Massachusetts in the past ten years.

Candles have become one of the leading causes of fire deaths in the home in this state
Several people are killed, usually in their own homes, from candle fires each year.