Candle Safety Checklist

If the power goes off and you reach for a candle, the first thing to know is that fire and rescue services do not tell you never to use one. They tell you to use it carefully. Keep candles well away from anything that could catch fire, and never leave a lit candle alone¹. If you must use a naked flame, take extra care and make certain it is put out before you go to bed².

The second thing to know is the scale of the risk. Candles cause over 800 fires in UK homes every year³, and government figures put the England total at 850 accidental fires in the home started by candles every year⁴. Around 30% of fires started by candles and attended by fire and rescue services result in death or injury⁵.

The third thing is that you do not need a flame at all. Fire services across the UK now point households towards battery lights: consider using LED candles instead of candles with a naked flame⁶, and flameless LED candles can be a safer alternative to tea lights⁷. The checklist below is for the times you use a real candle anyway, and for the battery lights that replace them.

The candle safety checklist

Work through this before you light anything, and again before you leave the room or go to bed. Each item is there because a fire service names it.

1. Decide whether you need a flame at all. Consider LED candles instead of candles with a naked flame, particularly if anyone in the home uses emollient creams⁶.
2. Put it in a proper holder. Always use a candleholder specifically designed for candle use, heat resistant, sturdy and large enough to contain drips or melted wax¹⁰.
3. Give it a heat resistant surface underneath. Always place candles and oil burners on a stable, heat-resistant surface¹¹.
4. Clear the space around it. Keep candles away from anything that may catch fire such as curtains, furniture, papers and clothes⁷.
5. Keep it out of reach. Take extra care to keep candles out of reach of small children or pets¹².
6. Never leave it alone. Put burning candles out when you leave the room, and make sure they are out completely once you have finished with them¹¹.
7. Keep it out of bedrooms. Don't use candles in bedrooms or anywhere where you might fall asleep⁵.
8. Never use one as a nightlight¹⁰.
9. Do not cluster them. Do not burn several candles close together as this might cause flaring⁹.
10. Put it out before bed. Extinguish open flames such as candles, oil lamps and incense sticks¹³, and be sure the wick ember is no longer glowing¹⁰.
11. Keep matches and lighters away from children¹⁴.
12. Know what to do if clothing catches fire. Make sure everyone knows how to stop, drop and roll¹⁵.
13. Have working smoke alarms, and practise your escape route so everyone in the home knows what to do if a fire should occur¹¹.

Candles cause around 850 house fires a year in England

The headline figure for England is 850 accidental fires in the home started every year by candles, from government fire safety guidance⁴. Fire services describe the same problem in their own areas: North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service says candles cause over 800 fires in UK homes every year³, and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service attends over 20 fires every year caused by candles¹⁶.

The consequences are more serious than the number of fires suggests. Around 30% of fires started by candles and attended by fire and rescue services result in death or injury⁵. Across England there have been 254,030 accidental dwelling fires over the last ten years, with 1,804 deaths and 44,806 casualties¹⁷. Candle fires are a small share of that total, but they are among the most avoidable.

Power cuts are one of the moments the risk rises. Firefighters can be called to fires started by candles or portable heaters during a power cut¹. That is why the same guidance that suggests keeping a supply of candles also says to keep them well away from anything that could catch fire and never to leave a lit candle alone¹.

The pattern is the same in all four nations: the risk is not the candle itself but what is next to it and whether anyone is awake to notice.

Where a candle must never be left burning

Some places in a home are out of bounds for a naked flame, whatever the reason for lighting it. The clearest is the bedroom. Don't use candles in bedrooms or anywhere where you might fall asleep⁵, and never use a candle as a nightlight¹⁰. A candle left burning while you drift off can set light to bedding or curtains while you are not aware of it.

The second is anywhere you are not. Never leave burning candles unattended, and always extinguish before going to sleep, checking that the wick ember is no longer glowing¹⁰. Put burning candles out when you leave the room¹¹. Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service puts the same rule in capitals: never leave candles unattended¹⁸.

The third is anywhere with something that burns close by. Keep candles away from soft furnishings, decorations, Christmas trees and wrapping paper, and out of reach of pets and children¹⁸. Keep them away from curtains, furniture, papers and clothes⁷.

The fire and rescue services are unanimous on the rule that matters most. Never leave burning candles unattended, and always extinguish them before going to sleep, checking that the wick ember is no longer glowing¹⁸. Put burning candles out when you leave the room, and make sure they are out completely once you have finished with them¹⁹. Never leave them burning when you are not in the room²⁰.

Tea light holders and heat-resistant surfaces

A tea light looks harmless because it is small. The foil cup it sits in is the problem. Put tea lights in proper holders: the foil outer container gets extremely hot and can melt surfaces underneath²¹. Put tea lights in a holder or on a plate, because the foil they are contained in can become extremely hot and melt what is underneath⁸.

The rule from fire services is consistent: always burn tea lights in or on a suitable, non-flammable holder on a heat resistant surface⁸. The holder should be heat resistant, sturdy and large enough to contain drips or melted wax¹⁰. A stable, heat-resistant surface underneath matters as much as the holder itself¹¹.

The same care applies to joss sticks, oil and incense burners¹⁶, and to oil burners, which should also go on a stable, heat-resistant surface¹¹. If you use emollient creams on your skin, the risk is higher again, and LED candles are the safer choice⁶.

LED candles and torches: the safer way to light your home

The simplest way to remove candle risk is to remove the candle. Fire services recommend flameless LED candles as a safer alternative to tea lights⁷, and suggest considering LED candles instead of candles with a naked flame⁶. For a power cut, a torch or a battery lantern lights a room better than a candle and can be left safely while you move about.

Battery lights bring their own small risks, and they are easy to manage. Make sure batteries are secure and battery boxes are vented¹⁴. Keep spare and used button batteries away from children, because small batteries are a hazard if swallowed. If a rechargeable battery becomes extremely hot to the touch it may be defective and could start a fire²⁰, and if a battery begins to smoke or catches fire, get out immediately, raise the alarm, call 999 and do not attempt to tackle the fire yourself²⁰. Do not leave chargers running overnight²².

For more on choosing and running battery lights, see lighting your home safely when the power goes off, battery and rechargeable lanterns and torches: types and how to choose one. If you want the direct comparison, LED candles or real candles: which is safer? sets the two side by side, and candle fire safety at home covers the wider subject.

Fancy dress, pumpkins and Christmas: the seasonal risks

Candles do most damage at the moments when homes fill with things that burn. Halloween is the clearest. Children's fancy dress outfits are classed as toys, not clothing, so they don't have to meet the same fire safety standards as everyday clothes, making them more flammable¹⁹. A costume can catch alight in seconds from something as simple as a tea light²³. Keep costumes well away from naked flames¹⁹, and avoid wearing fancy dress or flowing materials when near a naked flame or heat source¹².

Pumpkins are the other half of the problem. Avoid using a naked flame or candle in pumpkins; use a torch, glow stick or battery-operated candle⁹. If a pumpkin with a battery-powered tealight gets knocked over, or you forget to turn it off overnight, nobody gets hurt and nothing is damaged¹⁹. Make sure pumpkins, candles and other lights are placed well away from anything that can burn¹⁵.

Christmas brings the same risks with more fuel around. Keep candles away from soft furnishings, decorations, Christmas trees and wrapping paper, and out of reach of pets and children¹⁸. Check your Christmas lights are in good working order and conform to the British Standard⁸. For the full seasonal picture, see using candles safely at Christmas.

Keeping the checklist ready

A checklist only works if the things it asks for are to hand before the power goes off. Keep a torch where you can find it in the dark, and a battery lantern for the room you use most. Keep a supply of batteries for both, and check them before winter. Keep a proper tea light holder and a heat resistant plate or tray with the candles, so nobody is tempted to use the foil cup alone.

If you use candles regularly for reasons other than a power cut, a free home fire safety visit from your local fire service will look at the risks in your home and advise on what to change. See free home fire safety visits from your fire service. For a wider set of checks before winter, see lighting checks before winter, and for the full power cut list, torches, lanterns and candles: power cut checklist.