Seattle—An unattended candle is to blame for a house fire in West Seattle on Sunday morning according to a Seattle Fire Investigator. The candle was located in a bedroom and the investigator determined it most likely ignited available combustible materials.
At 5:05 a.m. on Sunday November 18, 2012, a neighbor called the Fire Alarm Center and reported seeing flames coming from a house located in the 9400 block of 7th Avenue SW. The fire was located in the bedroom of the single family home. The flames burned through the sub-floor and into the crawlspace below.
No one was injured. The fire investigator estimates the damage at $70,000.
In 2010, candle fires caused 90 deaths, 820 injuries and $370 million in property damage according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). December is the peak time of the year for home candle fires.
The Seattle Fire Department’s Public Education Unit offers these basic rules to follow:
• Always keep burning candles within sight.
• Extinguish all candles when leaving the room of before going to sleep.
• Always use a candleholder specifically designed for candle use. The holder should be heat resistant, sturdy and large enough to contain any drips or melted wax.
• Place lighted candles where they won’t be knocked over by children, pets or anyone else.
• Keep burning candles away from furniture, drapes, bedding, carpets books, flammable decorations etc.
• Read and carefully follow all manufacturer instructions. Do not burn a candle longer than the manufacturer recommends.
• Extinguish pillar and taper candles when they burn to within two inches of the holder.
• Discontinue burning the votive and container candles before the last half-inch of wax melts.
