Always keep a burning candle within sight. Extinguish all candles when leaving a room or before going to sleep.

Never burn a candle on or near anything that can catch fire. Keep burning candles away from furniture, drapes, bedding, carpets, books, paper, flammable decorations, etc.

Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets. Do not place lighted candles where they can be knocked over by children, pets or anyone else.

Read and carefully follow all manufacturer instructions.

Trim candlewicks to 1/4 inch each time before burning. Long or crooked wicks cause uneven burning and dripping.

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. Be sure the candleholder is placed on a stable, heat-resistant surface.

Keep burning candles away from drafts, vents and air currents. This will help prevent prevent rapid, uneven burning, smoking and excessive dripping. Drafts can also blow lightweight curtains or papers into the flame where they could catch fire. Ceiling fans can cause drafts.

Keep the wax pool free of wick trimmings, matches and debris at all times.

Do not burn a candle for longer than the manufacturer recommends.

Always burn candles in a well-ventilated room.

Extinguish the flame if it comes too close to the holder or container. For a margin of safety, discontinue burning a candle when 2 inches of wax remains (1/2inch if in a container). This will also help prevent possible heat damage to the counter/surface and prevent glass containers from cracking or breaking.

Never touch or move a votive or container candle when the wax is liquid.

One of the safest ways to extinguish a candle is to use a candle snuffer, which helps prevent hot wax from spattering.

Do not extinguish candles with water. The water can cause the hot wax to spatter and can cause glass containers to break.

Flashlights and other battery-powered lights are much safer light sources than candles during a power failure.

Never use a candle as light when you go into a closet to look for things.

Never use a candle for light when fueling equipment such as a lantern or kerosene heater.

A well-made candle should not soot or smoke when burning properly. However, noticeable smoking will occur whenever a candle’s flame is disturbed, which allows unburned carbon particles (soot) to escape. In fact, any candle can be made to smoke by causing the flame to flicker.

To minimize candle flickering, trim the wick to 1/4 inch before lighting, and place burning candles away from vents, drafts and other strong air currents.

Consumers should know that the minuscule amount of soot produced by all candles is similar to that given off by toasters and cooking oils in the kitchen, and does not present a health concern.

Safety is a top priority at the National Candle Association, which is why no member of the NCA (which accounts for 90 percent of all candles made in the U.S.) uses lead wicks. NCA members voluntarily agreed more than 25 years ago not to use lead wicks, and in 2000 asked all U.S. candle manufacturers to sign a formal pledge not to use lead wicks. Some imported candles reportedly have been found to contain lead wicks. The NCA strongly supports the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s proposal to ban lead candlewicks from the U.S. marketplace.

 To help educate consumers about proper candle use, many U.S. candle manufacturers include directions on their candles and warning labels citing the warnings listed above.