Torches, Candles and Children: Keeping Them Safe

When there are children in the house, the safest light in a power cut or an emergency is not a candle. Government preparedness guidance is blunt about it: keep a battery or wind-up torch, and spare batteries, at home, because torches are safer than candles¹. The same message runs through the Be Ready checklist² and through fire service advice across the UK, which goes further and says the safest way to enjoy candles at all is to use LED battery-operated ones instead, making sure the batteries cannot be accessed by children or pets³.

This page brings together what fire and rescue services, the NHS and child safety charities say about children and lighting: which lights to choose, where lit flames must never go, how to keep the button batteries inside small lights away from small children, and exactly what to do if a child is burned or swallows a battery. The two emergencies at the end are the ones to read now, before you ever need them: cool a burn under running water for at least 20 minutes, and take a child who may have swallowed a button battery straight to A&E.

Battery tea lights and torches are safer than candles around children

Every fire and rescue service that has published guidance on this reaches the same conclusion. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says it is safest to avoid using candles at all and to choose safer alternatives such as battery-powered lights⁸. The National Fire Chiefs Council's cost of living toolkit lists LED candles and lights, and battery or wind-up torches, as the products that are safer to light your home⁹. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service recommends battery-operated candles in pumpkins and lanterns because they are much safer than traditional candles¹⁰, and Devon and Somerset's Halloween advice is to use battery-powered tea lights in decorations to reduce fire risk¹¹.

The reason is simple: a battery light cannot set fire to a costume, a curtain or a child. Fire and rescue services warn that every year many adults and children are injured when lit candles come into contact with costumes and wigs¹², and children's Halloween and dressing-up costumes are a particular concern around any naked flame. Scottish Fire and Rescue Service says battery-operated candles are the safest way to light up scary things at Halloween¹², and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service advises considering battery-oper lights within homemade lanterns and pumpkins because they are much safer than candles¹³.

For everyday preparedness, the choice is between a torch a child can hold, a lantern that lights a room, and battery tea lights for decorations:

If you are choosing a torch for a child to use themselves, look for one where the battery compartment needs a screwdriver or a firm twist to open, and keep spare batteries stored away from small hands. Our pages on torches, lanterns and battery tea lights in pumpkins go into the choices in more detail, and LED candles or real candles compares the two side by side.

Where candles and lit flames must never go when children are in the house

If you do use real candles, the rules from fire and rescue services are consistent and strict. South Wales Fire and Rescue Service says children should never be left alone with lit candles⁴. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service says the same: never leave children or pets alone in a room with lit candles¹⁰. North Yorkshire's Halloween advice adds that you should put candles out when you leave the room, and make sure they are put out completely at night¹³.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service says never leave burning candles unattended, always extinguish them before going to sleep and be sure the wick ember is no longer glowing, never burn a candle on or near anything that can catch fire, and never use a candle as a nightlight¹⁴. Wiltshire and Swindon Prepared adds the basics of placement: put candles in a holder and keep them away from things that may burn¹⁵.

Around children, the rules extend to the things that light the candle as much as the candle itself. NHS guidance on preventing burns and scalds in children says to keep matches, lighters and lit candles out of young children's sight and reach¹⁶. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service warns never to let children play with matches or cigarette lighters, to teach children not to play with fire, and to keep matches and lighters where children are not tempted to play with them¹⁴. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says to teach children never to play, or leave toys, close to a fire or heater¹⁷.

A short checklist for any household that uses real candles:

• Never leave a child alone in a room with a lit candle¹⁰
• Put candles out when you leave the room, and completely at night¹³
• Never use a candle as a nightlight¹⁴
• Keep candles in a holder, away from anything that can burn¹⁵
• Keep matches and lighters out of young children's sight and reach¹⁶
• Keep toys away from fires and heaters¹⁷

The same caution applies to sparklers, which are lit flames in children's hands. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service says to keep children away from any naked flames, including sparklers¹⁸, and to ensure children hold sparklers at arm's length with an adult lighting them¹⁸. Its safety appeals say never give sparklers to children under 5 because they will not understand how to use them safely¹⁹, and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service says always to supervise children with sparklers²¹. Sparklers burn at very high temperatures, and to a young child the heat is equivalent to a welding torch²⁰.

If your household uses candles regularly, our candle safety checklist and the page on candle fire safety at home cover the full set of precautions, and many fire and rescue services offer a free home fire safety visit you can request.

Button cells in small lights and torches: keeping them out of reach

The batteries that power small lights, tea lights and novelty torches are often button cells, and they are a serious hazard to small children. An NHS safety notice lists the places a child can find button batteries: toys where the battery compartment is not secured, string lights and nightlights, small remote controls, car key fobs or key finders, musical cards and books, light-up toys and novelty items, and digital scales and thermometers²². Battery tea lights, glow wands and small torches bought for children sit squarely in that list.

The NHS advice is to keep products well out of your child's reach if the battery compartment is not secured²². Great Ormond Street Hospital adds a rule for storage: keep new batteries in their original blister packaging, out of the sight and reach of children²³. That applies to the spare coin cells you keep for your torches and tea lights as much as to the ones inside them; our page on storing spare coin cell batteries safely with children covers this in detail.

When you buy a light for a child to use, check the battery compartment before anything else. A compartment that needs a screwdriver, or a firm simultaneous press-and-turn, is what you want. A back that pops off with a thumbnail is not, however good the light itself is. The National Fire Chiefs Council also warns about where you buy: online marketplaces do not have to adhere to the same safety standards as high street retailers, so buy from the websites of brands you trust⁹. A cheap light from an unknown seller is more likely to have an insecure compartment and no safety marking.

If a child swallows a button battery: go to A&E straight away

This is the one emergency on this page where minutes matter, and every NHS source gives the same instruction.

NHS first aid guidance for parents says if your child swallows a button battery or magnet, or you think they may have swallowed one, call 999 or take them to A&E straight away⁶. Alder Hey Children's Hospital says the most important thing to do is get your child to A&E as soon as possible²⁴. If you suspect your child may have swallowed a battery but you are not sure, Alder Hey says you can call NHS 111 for advice²⁴. Great Ormond Street Hospital says the same: if you suspect your child has swallowed a button battery, take them to your nearest A&E department as quickly as possible²³.

At hospital, the doctors will usually x-ray your child to locate the button battery and estimate its size. The local hospital may try to remove the battery by passing an endoscope down the child's throat to grasp and pull it up, usually while the child is under general anaesthetic²³. Knowing this in advance helps: it is a routine procedure for the team, and the important part is getting there quickly.

The steps, in order:

1. If you know or suspect your child has swallowed a button battery, do not wait to see if symptoms develop⁶.
2. Take them straight to A&E, or call 999 for an ambulance²².
3. If you are unsure whether anything was swallowed, call NHS 111 for advice²⁴.
4. Tell the hospital what kind of battery it was, and bring the packet or a matching battery if you can safely do so²³.

Because the batteries inside flat or spent lights are still a swallowing risk, do not leave old coin cells in a drawer a child can reach; our page on whether flat button batteries are still dangerous explains why.

First aid for a burn or scald: cool for 20 minutes

A burn is caused by dry heat, from an iron, hair straighteners or a hot radiator. A scald is caused by something wet, such as a hot bath or cup of tea. The NHS is clear that both should be treated in the same way⁷, and NHS guidance elsewhere adds that burns can also be caused by electricity or chemicals, and scalds by hot liquids or steam²⁵.

Cooling is the first thing to do, and the instruction is the same in every source here: cool the burn under cool running water for at least 20 minutes²⁶. NHS first aid guidance for children says to put the burn or scald under cool running water for 20 to 30 minutes to reduce the heat in the skin⁶. NHS 111 Wales says to cool the burn with cool or lukewarm water for 20 minutes²⁷, and the Northern Burn Care Network says to place the affected area in cool water or under a gently running cold tap for at least 20 minutes²⁸. Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust says simply: cool the affected area immediately with cool running water for at least 20 minutes⁵.

After cooling, cover the burn. NHS 111 Wales says to cover the burn by placing a layer of cling film over it, and a clean plastic bag could also be used for a burn on the hand²⁷. If the face or eyes are burnt, sit your child up as much as possible, because this helps to reduce swelling⁷.

What not to do matters as much as what to do. NHS guidance for children says: do not use ice, iced water, or any creams or greasy substances such as butter, and do not put your child in a cold bath⁷. Old folk remedies, butter, toothpaste and creams can trap heat in the skin and make the injury worse; cool water and cling film are all the burn needs before you get help.

For minor burns, keep the burn clean and do not burst any blisters that form³⁰. Burns can be very painful and may cause red or peeling skin, blisters, swelling, or white or charred skin¹⁶.

When a child's burn needs a doctor, 111 or 999

The rules for getting help are clear and consistent across NHS sources, and they are stricter for young children than for adults.

Call 999 or go to A&E if the burn is very large or deep, is on the face, genitals or bottom, or has been caused by acid or a chemical, or by electricity²⁵. Healthier Together gives the same list for children and says to get urgent help in those circumstances²⁶. Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust says to call 999 for emergency assistance immediately for chemical burns⁵, and NHS 111 Wales says if it is an acid or chemical burn, dial 999²⁷.

For anything less severe, the route depends on how worried you are. The Northern Burn Care Network says if in doubt, call NHS 111 or your GP for advice on minor burns, and for more serious burns visit your nearest Emergency Department or dial 999 as soon as possible²⁸. Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust says to call for help depending on the severity: consult a pharmacist, your GP, call 111, or dial 999 in severe cases⁵.

Two age rules are worth remembering. NHS guidance for Norfolk says if your child is under 5 and has a burn or scald, always seek advice from a health professional, and call your GP, NHS 111 or 999 to seek medical advice if your child is under 5 or if you are worried⁷. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS guidance says the same²⁹. NHS 111 Wales adds that people at greater risk from the effects of burns, such as children under 10 years old, should also get medical attention after a burn or scald²⁷.

Small burns and scalds can often be treated at home and can take around 2 weeks to heal²⁵. While healing, the NHS says to take painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen to help with pain²⁵. Burns and scalds can sometimes lead to further problems, including shock, heat exhaustion, infection and scarring²⁷, which is why the under-5 and under-10 rules exist. In hospital, the size and depth of the burn will be assessed and the affected area cleaned before a dressing is applied; in severe cases skin graft surgery may be recommended²⁷.

Hot drinks, pans and heaters during an emergency

Power cuts and emergencies change the routine in a house, and that is exactly when the everyday burn hazards to children get closer to them. Cooking on a camping stove you do not normally use, heating water for bottles, or keeping warm near a heater all need the same supervision as candles.

The Child Accident Prevention Trust reports that almost half of all serious burns are to children under two and 70 per cent are to children under five³¹. Its practical advice is to look for safe zones in your house where you know your child cannot reach your hot drink³¹. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS guidance says to keep saucepans at the back of the cooker where possible, and turn the handles out of reach²⁹. NHS guidance also reminds parents to keep matches, lighters and lit candles out of young children's sight and reach¹⁶, and to teach children never to play, or leave toys, close to a fire or heater¹⁷.

If you are using a heater or any naked flame during a power cut, keep children away from it. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service says to keep children away from naked flames¹⁹, and its Halloween safety appeal says to avoid using a naked flame or candle in pumpkins and to use a torch, glow stick or battery-operated candle instead²⁰.

One piece of teaching is worth practising with children before you ever need it. Scottish Fire and Rescue Service advises having children practise what to do if their clothing catches fire: stopping still, dropping to the ground, covering the face with hands, and rolling over and over to put the flames out¹².

Teaching children fire safety at home

Alongside the physical precautions, fire and rescue services ask parents to teach children what to do around fire. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says to explain that fire is not a toy and that it can hurt and cause damage¹⁷. Wiltshire and Swindon Prepared teaches children the emergency basics: call 999, ask for the fire and rescue service, and tell them your address, and only call 999 in a real emergency³². It also teaches children never to go back inside for anything, even toys or pets³².

The Government has developed a leaflet for parents and carers on fire safety which contains useful tips³³, and it is worth reading with older children. Practising the 999 call, including your address, is something a child of five or six can learn, and it is the piece of teaching that fire services themselves put first.

For the lighting side of preparedness, the habit to build is simple: every child old enough to carry one knows where their torch is, and no child, of any age, has access to matches, lighters or coin cells. Our page on where to keep torches so you can find them in the dark helps with the first half, and the power cut checklist covers the rest of what a household needs ready.