A Burning Candlestick Kills Two Children In Lagos

The use of a candlestick at home can be dangerous, especially if the candle is left unattended. This was the case in a home in Lagos, where the house caught fire.

At 9 pm on Saturday the 30th of September, a bungalow at Ifako Ijaiye, in Nigeria was engulfed in fire, claiming the lives of two children who were in one of the rooms.

According to Daily Trust, It was gathered that the mother of the two male children aged two and four left a candlestick burning which started the fire.

The names of the two deceased brothers are Olawale and Desire Akingbesote.

According to sources, “The swift intervention of officers and men of the state fire service saved the fire from extending to other rooms in the bungalow”.

The Director of the Fire Service, Alhaji Razak Fadipe confirmed the incident to Daily Trust, saying “the mother of the children went out leaving them inside”.

Use of Candles

He advised against the use of candlestick to illuminate the house, saying, “Candle has sent a lot of people to an early grave”.

This sad incident has brought our attention back to the dangers of the use of candles. It is advisable to avoid using candles in a home with children. This is because children are usually drawn to fire wanting to play with it.

More than half of all candle fires start because of candles that were left too close to flammable items. Click To Tweet They should always be kept at least 12 inches away from anything that can burn.

Unattended Candles

Other causes of candle fires include leaving them unattended in a room or someone playing with the candles. Even something as simple as knocking a candle over when someone bumps a table or a child knocking it over; can cause fires and destruction.

Torchlights and rechargeable lamps are a much better alternative to candlesticks. But if for any unavoidable reason, a candlestick needs to be used, there are safety measures that have to be taken.

Here are some Candle Safety Rules set by the National Candle Association

Always keep a burning candle within sight. Extinguish all candles when leaving a room or before going to sleep. Be sure the wick ember is no longer glowing.
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 burning candles out of the reach of children and pets.
Trim candlewicks to ¼ inch each time before burning. Long or crooked wicks can 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.
Place the candlestick on a stable, heat-resistant surface. This can help prevent heat damage to underlying surfaces and prevent glass containers from breaking.
Always read and follow the manufacturer’s use and safety instructions carefully. Don’t burn a candle longer than the manufacturer recommends.
Keep burning candles away from vents, ceiling fans and air currents. This will help prevent rapid, uneven burning, and avoid flame flare-ups and sooting. Drafts can also blow nearby lightweight items into the flame where they could catch fire.
Always burn candles in a well-ventilated room and don’t burn candles in a small room or in a “tight” home where air exchange is limited. Click To Tweet
Always burn candles in a well-ventilated room and don’t burn candles in a small room or in a “tight” home where air exchange is limited.
Don’t burn a candle all the way down. Extinguish the flame if it comes too close to the holder or container.
Never touch or move a burning candle or container candle when the wax is liquid.
Never use a knife or sharp object to remove wax drippings from a glass holder. It might scratch, weaken, or cause the glass to break upon subsequent use.
Place burning candles at least three inches apart from one another. This helps ensure they don’t melt one another, or create their own drafts to cause improper burning.
Never extinguish candles with water. The water can cause the hot wax to splatter and might cause a glass container to break.
Be very careful if using candles during a power outage. Flashlights and other battery-powered lights are safer sources of light during a power failure.
Extinguish a candle if it repeatedly smokes, flickers or the flame becomes too high. The candle isn’t burning properly. Cool, trim the wick, then check for drafts before relighting.
Never use a candle as a night light.