House fire sparks fears over the use of candles
After a spate of fires during the religious festival of Diwali, firefighters from Nuneaton & Bedworth are urging local residents and religious groups to take extra care when using candles.
Over the weekend Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service attended a number of fires caused by candles being left unattended. The most serious was a house fire on the Tree Estate in Bedworth. The fire has caused a substantial amount of smoke damage to the home.
Area Risk Officer, Ian Tonner said:
“As part of the Diwali celebrations candles had been lit and left on a small plastic table. Unfortunately the Tea light candle melted through the plastic, setting light to the carpet, which quickly spread to the curtains. The fire burnt slowly causing severe smoke damage to the whole first floor. In this instance it was lucky that the family were away, otherwise it could have been a very different story!
“The Fire had burnt itself out over a period of 24hrs and the occupiers were unaware of the situation until they returned on Monday morning. A smoke alarm that would have raised the attention of neighbours had been removed due to it annoying sound it made during cooking. WFRS urge all resident to fit a smoke alarm and if they need advice about its location they should contact their local Fire Station.”
By taking a few simple steps this fire may have been avoided.
Put them on a heat resistant surface - Be especially careful with nightlights and tea lights, which get hot enough to melt plastic. TVs are not fire-resistant objects.
Position them away from curtains - Don’t put candles too near curtains, other fabrics or furniture. Keep them out of draughts.
Don’t put them under shelves - It’s easy to forget that there’s a lot of heat above a burning candle. If you put it under a shelf or other surface it can start a fire. Make sure there’s at least three feet (one metre) between a candle and any surface above it.
Keep clothes and hair away - If there’s any chance you could lean across a candle and forget it’s there, put it somewhere else. You don’t want to set fire to your clothes or your hair.
Take care with votive or scented candles - These kinds of candles turn to liquid to release their fragrance, so put them in a glass or metal holder.
Don’t leave them burning - Extinguish candles before you leave a room. Never go to sleep with a candle still burning and never leave a burning candle or oil burner in a child’s bedroom.
Double-check they’re out -Candles that have been put out can go on smouldering and start a fire. Make sure they’re completely out.