Bath Tea Lights Cause House Fire

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service are reminding residents to be careful when using candles following a fire earlier this week.

At 7.42pm on Tuesday 17th June, Firefighters from Wrexham attended a fire in property on Bernard Road, Smithfield, Wrexham.

The occupiers were alerted to the fire by a smoke alarm and managed to get out of the property before the arrival of the fire and rescue service.

The cause of the fire has been established as tea lights melting on the bath.

Dave Roberts, Partnership Manager, said: “A smoke alarm which had been installed by North Wales Fire and Rescue Service activated and alerted the occupiers of the fire. This incident again proves how vital it is for everyone to have smoke alarms installed in their homes, as they will give an early warning of a fire. They must be maintained regularly by testing the battery once a week and changing it as per manufactures instruction.

“There is no excuse for anyone in North Wales not to have smoke alarms as the Fire and Rescue Service are offering a free home fire safety check for everyone and will install smoke alarms where necessary. This service is completely free and I am urging everyone to request a visit by contacting our freephone number on 0800 169 1234 or e-mail [email protected] .

“If you do discover a fire you should not try and tackle it yourself. Get out of the property immediately, close all doors behind you, call for the fire and rescue service and stay out. You should never, under any circumstances re-enter the property. For further information on fire safety visit www.nwales-fireservice.org.uk .

“We advise people to use the battery operated tea light, which can be purchased for a small cost and are battery operated instead of requiring a flame. These electronic candles are just as effective at creating an atmosphere but are much safer than a candle.”

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service have issued the following safety advice when using candles:

– Never leave a candle unattended and remember to extinguish it before you go to sleep
– Make sure the candle is standing up straight and is fixed firmly so it can’t fall over – scented candles turn to liquid so always burn them in a suitable glass or metal container that can withstand heat and that the liquid can’t leak from
– Always place candles on a heat resistant surface
– Keep candles out of draughts, curtains and sources of direct heat or sunlight
– Always leave at least 10cm between candles and never place them under shelves or other surfaces
– Extinguish candles before they burn the holder
– Burn all candles well out of reach of children
– Always put candles out before you move them
– Always fit a smoke alarm to your property but consider an extra smoke alarm in rooms where candles are burnt regularly
– Don’t lean across candles
– Outdoor candles should never be used indoors
– Don’t play with candles by putting anything else into the hot wax.