BURNEY
FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
CONTACT:
Robert C. May, Fire Chief
RELEASE DATE: 11/1/06
FIRE SAFETY MESSAGE FROM THE BURNEY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
Burning Guidelines For Candles
For candles that burn safely and beautifully every time, always burn
candles in the most safe and appropriate manner to enhance your candle
burning experience!
Never forget that a lighted candle is fire. Always burn candle within
sight.
Take care to remove all packaging and labels before lighting.
Read and follow all manufacturer instructions carefully for each type
of candle. Failure to follow these instructions may result in property
damage or injury.
Always keep candles out of reach of children and pets, and away from
flammable materials. Always place on a stable, flat, non-flammable,
heat-resistant surface.
Place candles in sturdy, non-flammable holders. Be careful to select
candles of the correct size that fit firmly, securely, and vertically
into candleholder.
Protect surfaces from potential staining from a colored candle and
dripping wax by using the appropriate candleholder.
Always burn candles on a level surface in a well-ventilated, draft-free
room as drafts cold cause candles to smoke and flicker and may affect
the candle burn time, sooting and performance.
Each time you light a candle, rotate the candle 1/4 turn and trim
height of the wick to 1/4” above the wax surface.
Keep melted wax pool free of wick trimmings, matches, and other debris.
Never touch or move a candle while lit or touch liquid wax at any time.
For best results, storage temperature for candles should not exceed
80°F.
Votive Candles
Votive candles are made to liquefy; burn them only in appropriate
holders, never burn freestanding.
Remove wax and metal clip from holder before replacing with new votive
candle.
Jar Candles
Discontinue use when 1/2” of wax remains to prevent the possibility of
breakage. Do not refill jars with wax.
Do not allow the flame to touch the side of the jar, as it may become
hot. Handle carefully.
Minimize the wax left on the sides by burning the candle until the wax
pool reaches the edge of the jar (usually about 1 hour per inch of
diameter).
Highly fragranced candles will sometimes blacken the mouth of a jar.
Should the jar become blackened, simply extinguish the flame, allow it
to cool, and carefully wipe the rim with a dry paper towel.
Pillar Candles
Pillar candles should be burned 1 hour for each inch of diameter. Wax
has “memory” - if you don’t allow the molten wax pool to reach the
maximum width (about 1/8” - 1/4” from the edge of the candle) -
tunneling may occur. After 3 hours, the candle should be extinguished
and allowed to cool. Trim wick to 1/4” and relight.
It’s important to gently mold outer edges of wax while the wax is warm
to maintain the outer shell.
To prevent dripping, extinguish the flame when the wax pool reaches the
edge and allow candle to cool and harden before relighting