Candles are an invaluable part of pysankarstvo, used both for heating the stylus and melting the wax within it, as well as removing the wax from a finished pysanka.  A lit candle is beautiful to behold, with its flickering primal flame.

But care must be taken when burning candles. The National Fire Protection Association report that candles are the 4th leading cause of house fires.  During 2005, an estimated 15,600 home structure fires started by candles were reported to local fire departments in the USA. These fires resulted in an estimated 150 civilian deaths, 1,270 civilian injuries and an estimated direct property loss of $539 million. Almost 10% of civilian injuries and 6 % of civilian fatalities are due to candles

Mind you, many of these were started by unattended “decorative” candles, but it still pays to be careful. According to fire experts, the bulk of candle-fire incidents are due to inattention to basic fire safety or to the misuse of candles.

Other Hazards

A candle flame that is longer than its laminar smoke point will emit soot. Soot inhalation has known health hazards. Proper wick trimming will prevent soot emissions from most candles.

The liquid wax is hot and can cause skin burns, but the amount and temperature are generally rather limited and the burns are seldom serious. The best way to avoid getting burned from splashed wax is to use a candle snuffer instead of blowing on the flame. A candle snuffer is usually a small metal cup on the end of a long handle. When placed over the flame the oxygen supply is cut off. They were used daily when the candle was the main source of lighting a home, before electric lights were available.

Glass candle holders are sometimes cracked by thermal shock from the candle flame, particularly when the candle burns down to the end.

A former worry regarding the safety of candles was that a lead core was used in the wicks to keep them upright in container candles. Without a stiff core, the wicks of a container candle could sag and drown in the deep wax pool. Concerns rose that the lead in these wicks would vaporize during the burning process, releasing lead vapors — a known health and developmental hazard. Lead core wicks have not been common since the 1970s, although imported candles may still be found to have some lead core wicks (e.g. Chinese).  Today, most metal-cored wicks use zinc or a zinc alloy, which has become the industry standard. Wicks made from specially treated paper and cotton are also available.

Safety Tips

Some safety tips (to help keep you from becoming another fire statistic) from the National Candle Association:

Always be careful around candles; although they are necessary, they can also be quite dangerous.

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