How To Use Candles Safely This Holiday Season

Decorative and fragranced candles may be an attractive addition to your home décor, but if used improperly, they can be a serious fire hazard.  Residential fires caused by candles have more than doubled over the past decade.  According to a pilot study of candle fires by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), most candle fires were caused by combustibles being too close to the candle. The next most common cause of candle fires was due to the candle falling over or being knocked over by wind, doors, children or pets.

It is extremely important to use caution while burning a candle in your home.  The following are tips to help you avoid a potential candle disaster:

  • Candles are dangerous nightlights. Try to avoid using candles in bedrooms and other areas where people may fall asleep.
  • Supervise children. Store candles, matches and lighters up high and out of children’s sight and reach, preferably in a locked cabinet.
  • Always stay in the room where candles are being burned. It only takes seconds for a fire to start and minutes for your home to be fully engulfed in flames and dangerous gases.
  • Keep candles a minimum of 1 foot, in all directions, from flammable and combustible items such as curtains or bedding. Make sure curtains cannot be blown into the candle by wind.
  • Avoid burning candles for more than four hours at a time.
  • Do not move a glass container when the wax is liquid.
  • Use sturdy candle holders that won’t tip or burn.
  • Burn candles on sturdy uncluttered surfaces.
  • Trim candle wicks to one-quarter inch before lighting.
  • When lighting candles, keep your hair and clothing away from the flame.
  • Extinguish candles when they burn to within two inches of their holder.
  • Be careful not to splatter hot wax when extinguishing a candle.
  • Keep candles away from children or within reach of children.
  • Remember, when you go out, extinguish candles…even if you will only be gone for a short while.
  • Avoid using candles during power outages.  Have flashlights, batteries, and battery-powered lights on hand for emergency lighting.
  • Place candles away from windows, doorways or any place where drafts could affect the flame.

Remember, smoke detectors are life savers. The primary fire safety strategy for any home is to warn the occupants early. The best way to get the earliest warning of danger is by installing sufficient smoke detectors. Monitored smoke detectors are the best choice as they allow you and your family to escape while the Central Monitoring Station calls the fire department.

About All Action Alarm

For more information regarding monitored fire protection for your home, please contact us today. Please remember, if you have battery powered smoke detectors make sure to change the batteries every six months.

Have a wonderful SAFE day!

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What is CO Poisoning & How Do I Avoid It?

When you purchased those smoke detectors you so responsibly installed in your home, did you notice a similar-looking detector for carbon monoxide? If you have any products or equipment in or near your home that burn fuel, you might want to pick up a few carbon monoxide detectors too.

Unlike smoke or natural gas, carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, but it is just as poisonous. In the U.S., between 150 and 200 people die annually from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning produced by malfunctioning furnaces, ranges, water heaters, space heaters, fireplaces, charcoal- or gas-fired grills and engine-powered devices such as portable generators.

Even more lose their lives when CO accumulates after people leave their cars running in garages. And every year, thousands of people wind up in emergency rooms for treatment as a result of CO poisoning.

Prevention involves following these basic safety procedures.

  1. Install all appliances following the manufacturer’s instructions as well as local building codes – generally by qualified professionals.
  2. Unless you have the proper knowledge and skill as well as the appropriate tools, do not service fuel-burning appliances yourself.
  3. If your home has a fuel-burning heating system, have it serviced and inspected annually by professionals. Be sure to include chimneys and flues.
  4. Operating a portable generator or another gas-powered tool in or near an enclosed space can trap CO, leading to potentially lethal levels of the gas. Open doors and windows do not provide enough ventilation.
  5. Never use camping stoves designed for outdoor use only in an enclosed vehicle, tent or building. Some of these products may be designed to work in enclosed spaces, but they will specify that on the packaging and provide instructions for their safe use.
  6. Never burn charcoal in any kind of enclosed space such as a building, tent, or vehicle.
  7. Never leave a car running in a garage, even if you have the door open.
  8. Don’t use gas appliances such as ovens or clothes dryers as space heaters for your home.
  9. If you use a natural gas or propane oven, don’t cover the bottom with aluminum foil the way you can with an electric oven. You can block the oven’s combustion flow, producing CO.
  10. Re-check all gas appliance vents, heating vents or chimney flues after any home renovations. These can easily be blocked by forgotten tarps or debris.
  11. Install carbon monoxide alarms in hallways near every sleeping area and in living areas in the neighborhood of fuel-burning appliances. The recommendation is one alarm installed in the hallway outside every bedroom. Make sure the alarms aren’t blocked by furniture or window coverings. CO alarms should not be installed in kitchens or directly above any fuel-burning appliances. Test alarms regularly and replace following the schedule recommended by the manufacturer.

Signs and Symptoms of CO Poisoning

Initially, CO exposure has symptoms that resemble the flu without any fever. These include headaches, shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue. Further exposure can lead to vomiting, mental confusion and loss of muscular coordination. The end result is loss of consciousness and finally, death. The exposure levels and duration can affect the severity of the symptoms.

If you find yourself experiencing any of these symptoms unexpectedly, don’t wait for the CO alarm to go off to confirm it. Leave your home immediately and call the fire department on your cell or at a neighbor’s home. If they find evidence of high levels of CO, be sure that you and any family members who were exposed see a doctor immediately, letting him or her know about the CO exposure.

The Best Way To Avoid Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Finally, have all of your appliances checked for problems before re-using them. If one or more CO alarms go off in your home, leave immediately with all family members and pets. Call 911 and do not re-enter your home until the emergency specialists have ensured you that it is safe. Even a few minutes can lead to loss of consciousness and death if the exposure is high enough. Do not use the problem equipment again until a qualified service technician checks and repairs it.

Contact Us Today.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is an easily avoidable risk, yet every year too many people succumb to it. Like wearing a seatbelt, you may never need a CO detector, but why take a chance? By following these few simple steps, AND installing a carbon monoxide detector by a qualified professional security company, you may become a lifesaver for the ones you care about most.

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