A nice dinner outside in a fancy restaurant is a great idea for a date. However, if you want to put some thought and effort into planning a date, a candlelight dinner at home doesn’t sound too bad. The candles would create an ambiance, and your partner would appreciate the effort.

However, all your effort can go down the drain if you don’t follow a few essential candle safety tips. No matter how romantic candlelight dinners may sound, they come with a lot of risks too. To mitigate the risk of candlelight dinners to you and your property, follow the provided by 911 Restoration when you host one.

In case of fire damage to your property, reach out to a reputable restoration company to fix your property for you. At 911 Restoration, our services are available 24/7 every day. To prevent this damage, here are some tips to help keep any unwanted fires away from your romantic evening with your loved one.

1.    Trim The Wick

This step is an easy way to prevent fire damage in your home. When you light candles for dinner, make sure the wick is small, preferably a ¼ inch long to prevent the flame from becoming too long. Take a pair of scissors and cut off the wick before you light it.

2.    Dispose of The Match Properly

Most of the time, we light a candle using a match and throw it in the bin or on the side without looking at what we’re throwing it on. Even if there is no flame, there is still heat; this can start a fire if we throw it on something flammable such as a piece of cloth.

A solution to this problem is to run the match through the water to cool it down before throwing, or you could keep them in a flame-resistant dish while they’re still hot. Wait for the matchsticks to cool down before tossing them into the bin.

3.    Be Conscious of the Surroundings

According to NFPA, most candle fires are caused by a flammable material being too close to the flame. Flammable materials such as cards, decorations, curtains, any cloth, and even flowers or plants should not contact candles.

Keep them on the side; the best place to keep them would be on the side counter or the coffee table while arranging a candlelight dinner. Let the candles stay on the dinner table only. This distance would be perfect for a safe dinner with your loved one.

4.    Use Enclosed Candles

If you’re going for an elegant theme for your candlelight dinner, tapered candles in ornate holders would be perfect. However, they are not the safest candles to use. If you’re planning to use them, don’t leave them unattended and keep a close eye on them at all times.

However, if you know you’ll be in the kitchen a lot, choosing safer candles such as hurricane votive holders and lighting a cluster of mini candles or scented candles would be a good idea.

There are so many scents available, and with a scented candle that your partner likes, the evening would become a lot more special and safer. Candles in containers can be left unattended for a while, especially when you’re constantly distracted by dinner on the stove.

5.    Try Not to Get Distracted

Leaving candles unattended for long periods can cause house fires. Therefore, if you want to leave the room, make sure to blow out the candles. If you have too much on your mind and too much to prepare for dinner, then opt for flameless, battery-operated candles for dinner.

If you leave a candle unattended, it can easily get out of control and spread onto other things in the room. Flameless candles are a better option because they are reusable, and you can enjoy candlelight dinners many times in the future.

6.    Pick The Perfect Spot to Enjoy the Scent

The best place to burn a candle is on a stable and heat-resistant surface. Make sure you keep your candle in sight and away from children, pets, windows or drafts, and flammable materials such as furniture, curtains, carpeting, paper, etc. Especially a window would help spread fire quickly. These slight precautions will help reduce the risk of disastrous home fires.

7.    Extinguish fire appropriately

Blowing out the candle can lead to hot wax splatters. To prevent this, you can use a snuffer or put a lid on the lit candle to suffocate the flame. The flame itself would slowly die down once the oxygen supply stops.

When to Call 911 Restoration?

If your property has faced fire damage, it is best to call a restoration company in San Fernando Valley for help. At 911 Restoration, we provide fire damage restoration services to homes and properties. Our staff is experienced and equipped with the best equipment to restore your property as soon as possible. Contact us at (747) 297-6341 in case of emergency!