Donita Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 Just at this moment I heard a person on TV from our local fire department tell people not to light their candles....just use them for decoration and never use them during a power outage. There was a house fire last night started by a candle. I find this amusing after all of the time we spent experimenting and talking to each other trying to get the perfect wick and burn......Donita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breanna Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 Well what to they think we are suppose to use??? LOL It was good enough back in the olden days,,,,I do agree you must watch your candle and be smart about it,,,but there are those few that do not take caution. I will keep my candles burning!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvcandleguy Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 This years theme for fire prevention weeks seems to revolve around candles and candle safety. The brochures that are being used this year has alot of safety tips, but never did see anything about not burning them..Course its all up for interpretation... does make things harder for us tho.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maryann Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 I started making candles last year as a fundraiser for a trip my son was taking and we hit up our pediatrician & staff. They gave donates over what I charged for the candles so I offered to bring them each in a candle (hoping for new customers). Not knowing one of the nurses was a volunteer fireman/women she was so angered and walked away. The receptionist explain why, firepeople take candle burning seriously! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bev Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 Last week our local news reported on a house fire. Tragically, an 18-year old was killed. The cause of the fire ... candles. However, the homeowner's electricity had been shut off and there were over 100 candles burning in this house, reportedly as a source of heat and as a light source. I realize candles can be a potential danger but I still will not stop burning them, any more than I will stop running my furnace, using my BBQ grill, using my stove, burning a fire in my fireplace, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trae Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 Candle safety is the topic for fire prevention week around here. There was an article about it in our local paper naming several house fires caused by candles. Just about every instance was caused by negligence. Two were people leaning over lit candles and their clothes caught fire, one was a candle placed too close to curtains and one was an unattended candle left in a teenager's bedroom. People wonder why we stress reading the warning labels and literature we give them! And guess who is coming to the preschool where I work today????? The fireman and fire truck! Guess I'll have to bite my tongue during the lecture on candles! LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firstlady Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 Same thing here... dh's has to go to the community center & school to give speech about candles safety. but candles like everything else you have to use common sense and for those that loves to burn candles and are carefull with them shouldn't stop doing so because of others. on radio here the guy is saying to use them only for power outage and then goes on telling how to be safe with them. because of things like was talked about on here is one of the reason i'm just to scared to sell my candles and going to make tarts & wickless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raginabr Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 Well at least here the theme is "Blow it out before you go out." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gottabt Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 A little off topic - but does it strike anyone funny that the ppl could afford hundreds of candles but not their electric bill? (Funny in a sick way!!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donita Posted October 10, 2005 Author Share Posted October 10, 2005 I have never known anyone who was hurt seriously because of a candle fire, but a friend's little baby drooled onto the extension cord she was ironing with and it zaped his lip....permanent damage. Another little boy pulled a pan of boiling water off the stove and it permanently scared his neck and back....another brother and sister friends of mine were killed in their fathers crop duster plane.....there are risks just being alive and I am afraid that most people just aren't careful with anything....like swimming pools. We have a small pool for the grandchildren and the back door is locked, hooked and Ed drilled a hole that we can slip a nail into way at the top. Still....we check on the kids. I did know a woman who had a candle business and came home from work and turned on her wax pot on direct heat....went to change her clothes and her house caught on fire and she was badly burned...she never made another candle. I personally love to watch candles burn....everyday....I always put them in extra safe containers....most people don't.....I see people burn candles directly on tables....stupid, stupid oh did I say stupid.....and these are people with above average IQ's......do not understand... It is very important for the fire departments to warn people.......education is always the key to success. We want people to be responsible burning our candles. But if they choose to use them for decoration....that is good too....as long as we get paid....they can keep their beautiful unburned candle on the mantle for 10 years. LOL Donita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mysticglow Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 One of our local TV stations did a story this past week too. The lead in to the story said "what is one of the most dangerous things you have in your home - candles!" Then they go on to give the reasons why, saying that so many house fires are caused by candles, X number of deaths, etc... The story was pretty negative towards candles. Scary to think that one of OUR candles could be misused and be the cause of something like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 The worst burn due to carelessness that I've seen was when a mom I know left a hot cup of black coffee on the end of the table. Her toddler pulled it over on her face and shoulder. Was still having plastic surgery at the age of 16 from the damage done.The candle issue does scare me though. I get so annoyed when I see people on TV using them in the bedroom particularly by the bed. It looks so romantic but I can just imagine what could happen..... and add a few drinks..... disaster! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sudsnwicks Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 I think they are emphasizing candle safety (instead of how do you boil water or grill burgers more safely) because of the big jump in candle usage in recent years. No other household appliance (e.g. kettle, iron, grill) has had such a big jump in usage compared to candles. In the past, candles were not used much, mainly during power outage or on a birthday cake. Now they have become a basic for home decoration and so many more people are using them, so it is no wonder accidents have increased. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ShellyRobyn Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 A little off topic - but does it strike anyone funny that the ppl could afford hundreds of candles but not their electric bill? (Funny in a sick way!!!)I was thinking the exact same thing! Can you imagine how much 100 candles would cost? Even cheap ones would be pretty expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siberia Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 I was thinking the exact same thing! Can you imagine how much 100 candles would cost? Even cheap ones would be pretty expensive.Perhaps they lost their power due to a storm? Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bev Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 Perhaps they lost their power due to a storm? Just a thought.Nope. Apparently this family's power had been cut off and were using the candles for a heat and light source ... that's what was reported on the news anyway. Who knows why people do what they do. A lot of times I think people have their priorities mixed up (just like my relative who always has money for beer and cigs but swears he has no money for health insurance!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reese Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 This must be the theme across the USA for fire saftey this month. A couple of the fire stations in town will be holding their open house and candle saftey is the topic. It was even quoted in the newspaper by the fire department spokesperson that the possible cause of the Great Chicago Fire was started by a candle. What makes this so ironic on my part is that I sit on the Fire Board for our local fire department that teaches fire saftey. Who better to teach candle saftey but a candle maker. Oh well we can tell people how to burn candles till we're blue in the face but their is always going to be people who DO NOT burn candles correctly. What can we do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sudsnwicks Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 I was thinking the exact same thing! Can you imagine how much 100 candles would cost? Even cheap ones would be pretty expensive.Depends on what kind they were. For the cheap ones, you can get votives at 4 for $1. That would be $25 for 100. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candle Kitty Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 Maybe I'm different, but if someone comes anywhere near me to start preaching about candles and the fact they're unsafe, I jump right back and defend myself. Case in point, last month one of my hub manager's 'catches' me burning one of my tarts in my aroma lamp and goes into this huge schpeel about how that's unsafe and shouldn't be anywhere near the offices because it poses a fire risk (I work at the railroad, the whole damn yard is a fire risk at times!). I'm the only one in the office that burns any kind of candle or tart, so naturally, it all fell on me.Needless to say, I jumped back and told him that we needed to get rid of the microwave then. He looked at me puzzled and I told him that was a fire risk as well because we heat food, coffee, etc. in it and that I'll see to it that it gets removed, and while I was at it, I'd have the furnace, computers and printers removed and he goes bezerk, saying that if a fire happened with any one of those things, it would be because of someone's negligence.I just looked at him for a bit and when the light bulb exploded over his head, I just sweetly smiled and said 'Here Endth the Lesson'.He hasn't said anymore to me about my candle/tart burning since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donita Posted October 10, 2005 Author Share Posted October 10, 2005 Good for you Candle Kitty......I use to make Victorian Lampshades and repair old ones.....I was so surprised to see how many people burned their shades with the plain old lightbulb......carelessness.....to day the least! If a lamp falls over, the shade rests on the fabric and it will burn.....I guess then your company should ban the light bulb too.....Donita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alohagirl Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 Speaking of lampshades, several times I've been at someone's house and they still have the plastic dust cover on their lampshades. The only thing they removed was the sticker that says, "Extreme Fire Danger, remove plastic before use." Duh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amberlei Posted October 11, 2005 Share Posted October 11, 2005 I went to my cousin's daughter's birthday party a couple of years ago. A pediatrician from the burn unit for Shriner's was there and as a result, no candle on the cake. She had some terrible horror stories to tell and I'm sure she's good reason to dislike candles, but she actually berated my cousin for having a hanukiyah still containing the remnants of the previous evening's candles as it was evidence that my cousin used candles. I feel that, used with proper caution, a candle isn't a danger. I do know many people don't use proper caution, however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kuepie Posted October 11, 2005 Share Posted October 11, 2005 Last week our local news reported on a house fire. Tragically, an 18-year old was killed. The cause of the fire ... candles. However, the homeowner's electricity had been shut off and there were over 100 candles burning in this house, reportedly as a source of heat and as a light source. I realize candles can be a potential danger but I still will not stop burning them, any more than I will stop running my furnace, using my BBQ grill, using my stove, burning a fire in my fireplace, etc.I second that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MooChelle Posted October 11, 2005 Share Posted October 11, 2005 ok...I haven't read all of this...But wanted to pipe in real quick...I wasn't going to say a word about it, cause..Just didn't want to really...They are running a story on me in our local paper this week due to me being a long time member of the rescue squad & a candle maker.. anyway...They wanted to talk about candle safety..Promoting safety..Not bashing candles.....Here is a link to the NFPA website..Telling what they have to say.... I don't think it's a bad thing...It is a good thing...Just kinda helps drive home from our point of view you gotta be careful. As I said..Haven't read all this here yet..Just wanted to pop in and share this part... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimOCandles Posted October 11, 2005 Share Posted October 11, 2005 Bev,If you are talking about the fire that took place in the Festus, MO area, that is under investigation now for a suspicious homicide. I wasn't aware that they had 100 candles burning (btw, this was in the early hours of the morning, like 4:00-5:00 o'clock, and mom was away) but last I heard there *might* have been an accelarnt (sp?) like kerosene at the apartment. Gives you chills though. Makes you wonder with people though. It doesn't matter how safe a candle you have, you ARE still having a fire lit in your house, and you STILL have to be careful. It's not the candle's fault, it's the @#$@# idiots fault for having, oh, a freaking 100 candles lit, or burning a candle under a flammable item such as a curtain (or, as one of my co-worker's teenagers did, a freakin' paper towel-luckily no damage, caught it before it caught on fire) you have to use common sense. Unfortunately, that seems to be missing with a lot of people these days.KimO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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