Candles, Lights And Decorations | Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service

Candles, decorations and decorative lights are a growing cause of fires. By following these simple guidelines, you can reduce the risks that come with using them.

Lighted candles – where to put them

Candles are best placed:

on a heat-resistant surface – be especially careful with night lights and tea lights, which get hot enough to melt plastic;
in a proper candle holder, so they don’t fall over;
out of the reach of children and pets;
out of draughts and away from curtains, other fabrics or furniture, which could catch fire;
with at least 1 metre (3 feet) between the candle and any surface above it;
with at least 10 centimetres (4 inches) between any two candles;
away from clothes and hair – if there’s any chance you could forget a candle is there and lean across it, put it somewhere else.

Make sure you put out candles before moving them and don’t let anything fall into the hot wax, like matchsticks.

Putting candles out

Never leave a candle unattended. Make sure you:

put out candles before you leave a room and before you go to bed;
never leave a burning candle or oil burner in a child’s bedroom;
use a snuffer or a spoon to put them out – blowing them can send sparks and hot wax flying;
double-check that they are completely out and not still smouldering.

Candles and celebrations

Candles and night lights are often used in celebrations for Christmas, Diwali and other festivals. Make sure you don’t put candles in, or by, a Christmas tree, plants, flowers or other foliage. You should also be careful that ribbons, greetings cards and other decorations aren’t near any candle flames.

Fairy lights and Christmas tree lights don’t get used very often, so you should make sure they are in good working order before using them:

check that the fuse in the plug is the right size – see the box for the maximum size of fuse you should use;
replace any bulbs that blow;
don’t leave lights on when you go to bed or leave the house;
don’t let the bulbs touch anything that can burn easily, like paper or fabrics and other Christmas tree decorations.

Make sure you also keep other festive decorations made of tissue paper or cardboard, and greeting cards away from heaters, lights, fireplaces and candles.