Candle lovers...PLEASE read this warning!

NewLIFEstyle4ME
NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
in Chit-Chat
I love scented candles and have been burning them for as long as I can remember...at LEAST 40 years! I've NEVER had a fire start because of burning candles--EVER. I ALWAYS do everything the warning label says not to, as well. I leave candles burning unattended, have left larger candles burning for more than 3 hours at a time, and have left them burning on or near flamable items. I've been ignoring this warning on candles all my life :indifferent: :frown: :blushing: :frown: :indifferent:

Today, I irresponsibly and for the millionth time done this, I was burning a large (at least 29 oz) candle in my bedroom, for at least 4 hours...this brand of candle caused me some alarm from the 1st time I burned it, everytime I lit it, I would hear and see flickers from it. I was downstairs and I heard a HUGE crash and broken glass. I thought it was one of my large glass tables downstairs, I went it to see what happened and nothing. I felt in my spirit "you left that candle burning in your bedroom". I ran upstairs and my entire upstairs was filled with white smoke :noway: Our smoke alarm's battery were out too, (totally inexusable) :sick: :huh: :noway: I say a HUGE flame on my desk and on the large painting above my desk...I foolishly and in a panic blew on this huge flame and WOOSH...it got even bigger--all of the oil was liquified. I felt a calm come over come and heard in my spirit to quickly grab a towel, and beat the flames out. IT WENT OUT.

i BURNED MY HAND and arm--it hurts and I'm still shook-up. It is a MIRACLE from God that my house didn't burn to ground---I'm thanking God Almighty for that, because this was the scariest and biggest fire I've ever encountered in all of my life. That the fire didn't spread over the large amount of papers on my desk or that I could put the fire out from the painting is a HUGE miracle....Again, I'm thanking GOD nothing was destroyed, except a ton of melted wax and broken glass all over everywhere. It was a soy based candle, so the wax clean-up wasn't as bad as it could have been.

This is my WARNING to all candle loves (I wanted to post this to maybe help someone NOT make this terrible mistake)....PLEASE do not leave your candles unattended, nor let them burn for more than 3 hours, and please to NOT burn them on flamable or near flameable areas--burn them on a fire resistant area and place. PLEASE do not do what I've done for years and believe that those warning are for someone else, and just because you may have always done this )left candles unattended, burned them for more than 3 hours at a time (if they are large) or burned them around or on things that can catch on fire. Lastly...PLEASE CHECK AND MAKE SURE YOUR SMOKE ALARMS ARE UP AND THE BATTERIES ARE WORKING TOO!
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Replies

  • Aberesford22754
    Aberesford22754 Posts: 6
    Hi am glad something worse didn't happen. Hope your hand and arm feels better soon.
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    Hi am glad something worse didn't happen. Hope your hand and arm feels better soon.

    Thank you so much!:flowerforyou: That fire could have easily spread and done some major damage. I've learned a LOT of important lessons today I've been neglecting--if I would have had my smoke alarm in working condition...I could have caught it sooner. Ughhhhh at myself :mad: :grumble: :angry: :huh: And GRATEFUL it wasn't worse!
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    Bump
  • inside_lap
    inside_lap Posts: 728 Member
    I'm glad things weren't worse and you didn't panic (well other then initially). I know a few people who have which resulted in more damage (no loss off life of major injury thank goodness!). Hope you arm, hand, and heart heals quickly. I'm sure that was quite a scare!
  • kelseyjsnyder
    kelseyjsnyder Posts: 219 Member
    Glad you are ok!!!
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    I'm glad things weren't worse and you didn't panic (well other then initially). I know a few people who have which resulted in more damage (no loss off life of major injury thank goodness!). Hope you arm, hand, and heart heals quickly. I'm sure that was quite a scare!

    Thanks so much:flowerforyou:

    ( LOVE your avatar :drinker: ). My arm and hand still hurt, but feel much better. I immediately (after the DRAMA and TRAUMA was over) slathered some creamy vaseline+coco butter all over my hand and arm all night last night and this morning, so it's feeling much better. My thumb has a big/long blister on it--but in light of what could have happened, I'm totally okay.
  • BekaBooluvsu
    BekaBooluvsu Posts: 470 Member
    I did the same thing. Now I use the plug in smelly things. My fire however burned up a good part of my antique couch. Glad you are alive. Sorry about your burns.
  • serenity56
    serenity56 Posts: 79 Member
    Thanks for the warning. I had a candle in a big glass jar that actually cracked the glass when it got close to empty! Little glass shards everywhere... I'd have thought they'd use a glass that wouldn't react that way to heat, but whatever. It was a pain to clean up but clearly could have been worse. Hope your arm heals soon! If you don't have aloe laying around, get some - it's amazing on burns and will help prevent scarring.
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    Glad you are ok!!!

    :flowerforyou: Thank you so much :flowerforyou: I'm super glad too...as has been said, it could have been SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much worse!
  • msqdpie
    msqdpie Posts: 92 Member
    Holy Wow, First let me say this could have been much worse, it's good you kept level headed. I quit burning candles a couple Years ago, I switched to Tart Burners, They run buy a light bulb, so you can leave the room, I love them, Better Homes makes some fantastic scents, they come with 6 blocks you just break the Block off and it will scent a Large Area for the Whole day, Where burning Candle will weaken with use :happy:
  • emilyisbonkers
    emilyisbonkers Posts: 373 Member
    I never leave candles unattended because I think it's a stupid thing to do, now I know I was right
  • whitebalance
    whitebalance Posts: 1,654 Member
    Glad you came through it ok. Egg whites work wonders on fresh burns.
  • Laura3BB
    Laura3BB Posts: 250 Member
    Well I sometimes leave candles unattended.

    Thanks OP for the warning!
  • ReinasWrath
    ReinasWrath Posts: 1,173 Member
    wow!! thank goodness you are alright!!

    My mum is super paranoid with candles so I never really got to play with them till I moved out and i adopted her cautiousness with them. My bf always laughs at me cuz I am so wary of them but maybe I ought to show him this warning!!
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    Wow...glad to hear you are some what okay. Keep an eye on the burn. Burns are one of the most easy injuries to become infected. So make sure you are keeping the area clean. With that being said....

    I hope you learned your lesson about playing with fire.
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    Holy Wow, First let me say this could have been much worse, it's good you kept level headed. I quit burning candles a couple Years ago, I switched to Tart Burners, They run buy a light bulb, so you can leave the room, I love them, Better Homes makes some fantastic scents, they come with 6 blocks you just break the Block off and it will scent a Large Area for the Whole day, Where burning Candle will weaken with use :happy:

    This is the 1st time ANYTHING like this has EVER happened...I leave candles burning through-out the house ALL the time, all my life. I'm REALLY shook up about it. I wait all year to get these really expensive "Holiday" scented candles from various high end stores at a mere fraction of their cost. This is the first time I got a certain designer Brand (hmmmph). This candle is so expensive, it's offensively expensive and I got it for about 70-80% off the regular price. I bought a lot of them. The funny thing is--when I first burned this candle...something was "funny" about to me (that I ignored). It popped and crackled and sparked when I lit it, and everytime I lit it, it did this. It bothered me, but I ignored it-because I loved it. What a BUMMER that I have a TON of the most gorgeous smelling soy based candles ever...now I'm leery to burn them. I will burn them, but will NEVER leave any candles unattended, burning on/around flamable stuff and NEVER again, leave them burning ALL day long as I've always done. Most important as well...CHECK REGULARLY that my smoke detector batteries are functioning too....YIKES!:embarassed: :grumble: :noway:

    Like I said, I bought a LOT of candles for a fraction of their cost, so I have at least a years worth of various holiday/fall scented candles. I love this smell so much and they're hard to find except a certain time of year.

    I'm so shook up about what happened, when these are gone...I'm forsaking my lifelong love of candle burning and will us those tarts and I also have some electric candle melting thingys that I use when I scrape my old candles in them to scent my home...I'll use more of those. I don't like the wall scented thingy as much as candles and incense too.
  • Sharon_C
    Sharon_C Posts: 2,132 Member
    Hobby Lobby has a great candle warmer. No flames. Just a light bulb that melts the wax and leaves your room smelling great.
  • djxil
    djxil Posts: 357
    I am happy to hear that it was not worse, please heal well.

    I, like you, hate my smoke alarms, I finally bought a snazzy one which uses a voice to warn you about impending doom and if you have more than one, they all tell you, even which room has the smoke. It connects to your smart phone and alerts you too. It's pretty cool, you may want to look into them.

    I am glad that you are alright, Be safe.
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    I never leave candles unattended because I think it's a stupid thing to do, now I know I was right

    You may not always be right...but you're never wrong :smooched:
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    I am happy to hear that it was not worse, please heal well.

    I, like you, hate my smoke alarms, I finally bought a snazzy one which uses a voice to warn you about impending doom and if you have more than one, they all tell you, even which room has the smoke. It connects to your smart phone and alerts you too. It's pretty cool, you may want to look into them.

    I am glad that you are alright, Be safe.

    I didn't have a CLUE about these kinds of smoke alarm...I'm going to get some of those TODAY! Thank you so much for posting and letting me know:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :drinker: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
  • 19TaraLynn84
    19TaraLynn84 Posts: 739 Member
    So glad you're okay! If you have some coconut oil, put some on your burns. It works! My 6-year-old put his hand on the stove right after I had turned it off. Someone had mentioned to me about coconut oil for burns, so I slathered some on. Not a single blister! It was hardly even noticeable the next day.
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    Wow...glad to hear you are some what okay. Keep an eye on the burn. Burns are one of the most easy injuries to become infected. So make sure you are keeping the area clean. With that being said....

    I hope you learned your lesson about playing with fire.

    Thank you for letting me know...I haven't put any Neosporin on the burns, but I will add some to the other stuff I'm using. I soooooooo learned my lesson and am humbled at my stupidity/confidence/irresponsibility in ignoring the warnings all these years. I've been scared straight--believe you me!!!!:flowerforyou:
  • TribeHokie
    TribeHokie Posts: 711 Member
    As someone who also does all the things the warnings tell you not to do I will remember this lesson. Thank you.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member

    This is my WARNING to all candle loves (I wanted to post this to maybe help someone NOT make this terrible mistake)....PLEASE do not leave your candles unattended, nor let them burn for more than 3 hours, and please to NOT burn them on flamable or near flameable areas--burn them on a fire resistant area and place.

    So, basically follow the warning label?
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    wait, so you're telling me that if i leave an open flame on near something flammable and don't pay attention to it that bad things might come of this? next thing you'll be telling me is that if i don't put batteries in my smoke alarms they won't work. wait, wut????
  • Mother_Superior
    Mother_Superior Posts: 1,624 Member
    warninglabel.jpg
  • LishLash79
    LishLash79 Posts: 562 Member
    are you friggen kidding me mother.. WTH am i supposed to do with all these damn marbles ....

    oh well.. ive lost most of my marbles already anyways.. sigh
  • ohaston
    ohaston Posts: 218 Member
    God is GOOD !!!! SO GLAD U HOUSE IS SAFE ! thanks for sharing and get well soon! I recommend some burn ointment and/or antibacterial cream ... And take a few ibuprofens for the pain so u can get some rest...
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    wait, so you're telling me that if i leave an open flame on near something flammable and don't pay attention to it that bad things might come of this? next thing you'll be telling me is that if i don't put batteries in my smoke alarms they won't work. wait, wut????


    :devil: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :embarassed: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :devil:

    Man! This was the scariest thing that has EVER happened to me, but the way you put it...I'm laughing so hard right now...wow :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :tongue: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    I did the same thing. Now I use the plug in smelly things. My fire however burned up a good part of my antique couch. Glad you are alive. Sorry about your burns.

    I'm so GLAD you were alright and I'm so SORRY about your couch. It's amazing that burning candles is the number one causes of fire in homes--of course I discovered this after my TERRIFYING experience and wanted to post it here, to let others know--just in case. Thank you so much for posting too:flowerforyou:

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