The Dangers Of Burning Candles

Posted on Friday, June 27, 2008 at 12:08

I love candles and the warm yummy scents they bring into my house.  I love spice, fruit, and food flavors, but hubby and I found out a long time ago the flowery scents (especially lavender), gives me a headache that turns into a migraine, and makes him choke.

I have been on a cleaning spree of sorts the past two days.  I think it may have something to do with the meds I am on to loose weight.  (Evidentially I am on a low dose of speed! LOL  Yeah, you heard me.  It suppressed your appetite and gives you lots of energy, and it has me bouncing off the walls.  I can't seem to sit still, so I might as well do something useful, like cleaning huh??) 

I love to light candles, so at the end of the day, the house looks good and smells good with hubby walks in the door.  (And he definately noticed this evening!!!!  Since there is flooding around here, and problems with elctricity going out when it rains.....we have had the lights flickering on and off occasionally, so I lit some wonderful smelling candles!)

They have been burning most of the day, and then CRACK!  I was sitting here watching TV and behind me on a book shelf was a candle in a glass jar.  It cracked all the way across the bottom of the jar and up on side as well.  It scared me at first until I fiugured out what it was.  The  nice mulberry scented, maroon colored wax poored all over the shelf.  ( I am going to let it dry overnight, put some ice on it tomorrow and see if it won't pop right off there for me)

The bad thing is.....I let my candles burn all day long and the jars get extremely hot.  So when picking them up to blow them out, I have to either use pot holders, or get burned.  I am also notorious for accidentially leaving candles burning when I go to bed.  This is a definate no no, and I understand that, but well......I am over 30, and I forget ok?? LOL

The blessing is simply, that I was sitting close enough to hear it, and blow out the flame immediately.  If I had gone to bed and this had happened, no telling what would have happened.  The wax was spilling out everywhere, and the flame was still going strong.

This was a wake up call for me.  I didn't think much of putting a candle in a glass jar out, thinking there was no harm or fear of fire because it was contained in the glass.  Plus the air conditioner vent it near, so if the air kicked in, and I was not here, it might have fueled the fire and made it even worse.  Ok, ok,......here it comes everyone.  I was WRONG!!!  God was watching over us tonight!!!

Is this going to keep me from burning candles?? NO WAY!  But I will be more careful from now on, remembering to blow them out before bedtime, and to not leave them burning when we leave the house, even for a "quick errand".  (have you ever noticed the quick errands are the ones that take you 3 times as long???)