A significant leading cause of home fires and fatal fires is candles. Over 2/3 of the students in this country live off-campus in one- and two- family homes and apartments. This combination means that students living off-campus are in the group where candles are a serious danger. For 2001, which is the latest year for which information is available, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that candles caused 18,000 home fires, 190 civilian deaths, 1,450 civilian injuries resulting in $265 million in direct property damage. Note that the occupancy category of “homes” includes one- and two-family dwellings and apartments, which are common off-campus occupancies for students to use. NFPA continues to report that from 2000 to 2001 the number of reported home candle fires increased by 15%, continuing a rising trend that has been occurring since 1991. According to the National Candle Association, a trade group for the candle industry, retail sales of candles are approximately $2 billion per year. There are over 350 candle manufacturers in the United States, with candles being used in 70% of households.

Some other statistics reported by the NCA include:

• Candle shipments increase significantly during the months of October, November, and December.

• Approximately 96% of the candles are purchased by women.

• Two-thirds of the purchasers say they use a candle once a week or more.

• Common locations where candles are used include the living room (42%), the kitchen (18%), and the bedroom (13%).

• The most common location for candle fires is in the bedroom (41%), resulting in 24% of the deaths.

• The most common items first ignited by candles include:

- Mattress or bedding (12%)

- Cabinetry (10%)

- Curtains (9%)

• Unattended candles accounted for 34% of all home candle fires. Many schools already ban the use of candles in residence halls, so the issue is helping to protect the 66% of the students that live off-campus. Obviously candles are going to be used, so it is important to educate this group of people on how to use them responsibly. While it may seem that many of these are common sense, it is important to remember that many of the students that are moving off-campus are doing so for the first time and may not have ever seen these fire-safety messages. It is also important to not provide them with “rules without reason”! If they are told the “why” of the rules, then they are more prone to follow them since they understand the dangers involved.

The following tips are from the NFPA. The “why” is from the Center for Campus Fire Safety:

• Extinguish all candles when leaving the room or going to sleep. Why? Remember, over 1/3 of the candle fires occurred when candles were unattended, 41% of the fires occurred in the bedroom, and mattress or bedding was first ignited in 12% of the fires.

• Keep candles away from things that can catch fire, such as clothing, books, paper, curtains, Christmas trees or decorations, and don’t place lit candles in windows, where they may ignite blinds or curtains. Why? Candles don’t spread the fire, it is what they ignite that spreads the fire! A common scenario includes a curtain being blown over a candle and igniting. It may have seemed that the candle was in a safe place, until the wind blew the curtain. A fraternity was burned to the ground when someone threw the bedcovers over the candle on the floor.

• Place candles on stable furniture in sturdy holders that won’t tip over and that are big enough to collect dripping wax and place candles only in areas where they won’t be knocked over by children or pets. Why? If a candle gets knocked over, it can now ignite other combustibles such as furniture, papers, blankets, etc.

• Avoid candles with combustible materials embedded in them, or with holders or decorations that could ignite. Why? A candle with materials imbedded in them may look pretty, but what happens when the candle burns down enough to reach them? They will ignite and then possibly spread the fire beyond the candle.