Cook and use candles with caution on Valentine's Day

To keep the spark alive safely this Valentine’s Day, the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) encourages extra caution when cooking and using candles to celebrate the holiday. According to NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of U.S. home fires and injuries – nearly half (49 percent) of all reported U.S. home fires involve cooking equipment – while an average of nearly 6,000 home fires involving candles are reported to U.S. fire departments each year.

“Valentine’s Day at home often includes a special meal and candlelight,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA. “Keeping an eye on what’s cooking and using candles carefully can help prevent a celebration from turning into an emergency.”

Over one-quarter (29 percent) of reported home cooking fires and half of the associated deaths are the result of unattended cooking.

Keep these simple cooking safety tips in mind this Valentine’s Day:

• Stay in the kitchen while boiling, frying, grilling, or broiling food. Always turn the stove off when leaving the room—even for a short time.
• When simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly and set a timer to remind yourself that you are cooking.
• Anything that can catch fire—wooden utensils, oven mitts, towels—should be kept away from your stovetop.
• Always keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, put the lid over the pan and turn off the burner.
• For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
• Create a “kid and pet-free zone” of at least three feet (one meter) around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is carried or prepared.

Candles are also a leading cause of home fires and must be used with supervision and caution. According to NFPA data, more than half of all candle fires began when a flammable object—furniture, curtains, home decorations, clothing—was too close to an open flame. In 21 percent of home candle fires, the candle was either left unattended, discarded, or otherwise misused. Over one-third (36 percent) of candle fires originated in the bedroom.

A safer alternative to candles is battery-operated flameless candles, which offer a similar look and feel to real candles while simultaneously eliminating the risk of fires.

If you plan on using real candles, NFPA recommends the following:

• Keep candles at least one foot (30 centimeters) away from anything flammable.
• Never leave a burning candle unattended.
• Blow out all candles when leaving the room or going to sleep.
• Avoid the use of candles in bedrooms and other places people may fall asleep.
• Put candle holders on a sturdy and uncluttered surface.
• Use candle holders that are sturdy and will not tip over easily.
• Do not burn a candle all the way down; put it out before it gets too close to the holder or container.
• Keep hair and any loose clothing away from the flame.
• Store matches and candles up high and out of the reach of children, preferably in a locked cabinet.

For more information about cooking and candle safety, visit our cooking safety and candle safety pages. In addition, NFPA encourages the public to make sure they have working smoke alarms and develop and practice a home escape plan.