| Gel Candles Pose Fire Hazard | |||
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| Netlore Archive | |||
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Email text contributed by Kerry Ludwa, 25 May 2001:
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Subject: Gel Candles You don't use Gel Candles, do you? I received this from a friend of mine and wanted to make you aware of this terrible episode with candles. Thought this might be of some news to you! Hi all, my former secretary had a terrible thing happen to her and her family last week, and I wanted to share it with all of you so that you could be warned and warn your friends and family as well. She had a gel candle burning in her bathroom...it exploded and caught her house on fire...the house burned down and they have lost everything. The fire marshal told her that this is not the first incident where a gel candle has exploded and caused a fire. He said that the gel builds up a gas, and often times it explodes and sets fire to the room it is in, which is what happened to her. The fire was so hot it melted the smoke alarm, and they did not discover the fire until there was an explosion, which was her toilet blowing up, and then it was too late...the entire upstairs was engulfed in flames. Smoke damage and water damage have destroyed what wasn't destroyed by fire. I know that there are roomies and friends that I don't have on this list because I can't remember how to spell their screen names...please pass this along to anyone I missed. I would not want this to happen to anyone else. Her family is devastated. All their mementos and everything of value and meaning are gone. I'm not trying to bring anyone down...just a friendly warning to all of you about the use of gel candles left unattended. Thanks and take care! NOTE: Marty and I know a lady who loves the gel candles. She had one burning on her mantle and it caught fire just like in the message above. She was at home at the time and saw it happen and grabbed the candle to keep it from setting her home on fire and it came apart in her hand. She saved her home but suffered 3rd degree burns to her hand and 3 fingers! Please, if you or anyone you know have these candles, don't light them, they are dangerous. Please, pass this on.
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Comments: We can't vouch for the authenticity of these anecdotal reports, but judging from past consumer warnings, gel candles — like all candles — can indeed pose a fire hazard, so careful use is warranted.
There is no cause for "gel candle hysteria," however. Certain brands found to be unusually dangerous have already been taken off the market.
In 1998, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission oversaw the recall of 1.7 million Glade gel candles on the grounds that they "can burn with higher than normal flames, as high as 3 inches above the container, posing a potential fire hazard."
The CPSC noted at the time that some of the candles had been found to burn with high enough heat to burst their containers and "set fire to whatever they are sitting on." Allowing for poetic license, this may be what the author(s) of the email mean when they say the candles "exploded" — though no reliable information we've seen supports the melodramatic claim that any kind of candle could "blow up" a toilet.
The Finnish Consumer Agency issued a general warning about gel candles in December 2000. "The problem is that the gel mass seems to vary even within one and the same brand," the agency said after testing the products. "During the test part of the candles burnt normally whereas some others flared up all of a sudden after a few hours of normal burning. The consumer cannot know in advance how steadily and safely a candle will burn."
Please note, however, that not all gel candles are created equal. Only a few brands have been identified as dangerous to consumers and those were recalled, as have been other types of candles in recent years. Manufacturers say they have worked hard to reduce dangers associated with gel candles in particular.
The bottom line, as any firefighter can attest, is that all candles pose potential fire hazards and should be used with care.
Sources:
- "Candles Can Cause Serious Damage." Charleston Daily Mail, 24 Dec 1998.
- "Gel Candles from Glad Recalled by S.C. Johnson." U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 21 May 1998.
- "Product Safety - 2000 Annual Report." Finnish Consumer Agency, December 2000.
