Candle Fire Safety

From 2009-2013, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 9,300 home structure fires that were started by candles. These fires caused 86 deaths, 827 injuries and $374 million in direct property damage. Here is everything you need to know about candle fire prevention!

Candle Fires by the Numbers

Candles caused 3% of reported home fires, 3% of home fire deaths, 6% of home fire injuries, and 5% of the direct property damage in home fires.
Roughly one-third (36%) of home candle fires started in bedrooms. These fires caused 32% of the associated deaths and 47% of the associated injuries.
Falling asleep was a factor in 11% percent of the home candle fires and 30% of the associated deaths.
On average, 25 home candle fires were reported per day.
More than half (58%) of home candle fires occurred when some form of combustible material was left or came too close to the candle.
December is the peak time of year for home candle fires. In December, 11% of home candle fires began with decorations compared to 4% the rest of the year.

Candle Safety Tips

Blow out all candles when you leave the room or go to bed. Avoid the use of candles in the bedroom and other areas where people may fall asleep.
Keep candles at least 12 inches away from anything that can burn.
Use candle holders that are sturdy, and won’t tip over easily.
Put candle holders on a sturdy, uncluttered surface.
Light candles carefully. Keep your hair and any loose clothing away from the flame.
Don’t burn a candle all the way down — put it out before it gets too close to the holder or container.
Never use a candle if oxygen is used in the home.
Have flashlights and battery-powered lighting ready to use during a power outage. Never use candles.

Website Accessibility Policy

Belmont Fire Department is fully committed to providing accessible facilities, elements and channels of communication to all members of the public. As part of this commitment, Belmont Fire Department has a policy of providing an accessible website compatible with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) and commercial screen reading software. All features of the website are coded to allow individuals with vision and other impairments to understand and use the website to the same degree as someone without disabilities. We welcome feedback and can often resolve issues in a timely manner if they arise.

If you need any special assistance or accommodations:

Call us at 8642777231

Ongoing Compliance Information

Compliance Officer

Belmont Fire Department has designated a compliance officer for website disability-related accommodations. The compliance officer has received training in website accessibility and updates the site in accordance with those best practices. Contact our accessibility officer to report an issue.

Compliance Procedures and Reports

In addition to testing with users with a wide range of disabilities and coding our website to WCAG standards, Belmont Fire Department regularly scans its website to ensure ongoing compliance, and makes timely changes to any inaccessible changes, if any are found.

Linked Documents and Third Parties

Please note that this site may link out to third-party websites, such as state or federal agencies, that do not have accessible content. This site may also include documents provided by third parties included in our agenda packets, for example. While we cannot control the accessibility of content provided by third parties, we are happy to assist any member of the public with reading and accessing content on our site.

See an opportunity for us to improve? Please contact our accessibility officer or call us at 8642777231.

Report a Website Accessibility Issue

We are committed to your ability to access all content, and we will respond to all requests as soon as possible.

Candle Fire Safety

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