To think candles are really dangerous?

[Shadow666]

I was thinking about Claudia Winkleman's daughter and her accident when her Halloween costume caught fire a few years ago when she brushed against a Jack O'lantern someone had left on the floor as a decoration. Claudia advocates very strongly for costumes to be flame retardant but I wonder why she has never mentioned the dangers of leaving open flames lying around. I mean, it's pretty dangerous when you think about it. Last year, I made a small display including candles outside for Halloween and my cat must have stepped over it and burnt his tummy. I was so mad at myself. He was ok, just sore for a week or so, but it couldn't have been much worse.

Since then we only use LED tealights in our Jack O'lanterns and lanterns, and do you know what? They're brilliant. They are safe, reasonable and last ages. And you don't have to worry about anyone getting hurt. I know a lot of people do use them, but I wonder why there isn't more campaigning on the dangers of candles. Or perhaps there is and I missed it.

A friend posted on Facebook about a storm coming and she was getting the candles ready. She has kids and cats, I did warn her that candles in a storm are really dangerous and she can pick up some LED lanterns really cheaply these days.

Does anyone else feel like this? Or am I just being bonkers.

I've burned candles regularly for years with no issues, until last week. A neighbour gave me a big bag of Halloween decorations including an unopened box of pumpkin tea lights from John Lewis (so not cheap tat). Put one on in a glass holder, went up to say goodnight to DS and came down to flames licking out the top of the holder. Bolted through to the kitchen, chucked a teatowel in the sink which thankfully was full of water and ran back and threw it over the candle. Took less than 5 seconds as my house is small and open plan downstairs but even then that moment when I didn't know if anything had caught light (it was near books on a shelf) was heart stopping and the smell afterwards was awful. I often sit and chat with DS at bedtime but he'd been up late and it was just a quick goodnight kiss thank god. It was a timely reminder never to get blasé just because I've been lucky until now. We have battery ones for our pumpkin.

Oh and yes I know the advice is to never leave candles unattended but I was no longer than nipping to the loo for a wee and I don't know anyone who blows all their candle out every time they go to toilet.

I know someone who has done every pyramid scheme going, it might be a bit off topic, but did you know the candles we've used since forever, we're all going to be lepers if we don't convert to this amazing new wax she sells. £3 for 3 tea lights scented by the tears of angels or God himself for that price.

I'd personally rather risk leprosy and get 100 for £3.

I grabbed the pumpkins today, the candle never goes in until they're in position. As they're grown up a bit and don't go trick or treating we do let them use the safety setting fire thing whilst supervised. Otherwise it's carefully hidden away.

I keep getting told off about incense sticks, as apparently they're oh so bad, you can buy a really expensive glade like squirty thing that some how cleans the air and makes it smell like my favourite incense. I don't get the incentive to swap, plus if you need clean air, it should be smell free?

There was the poor woman in a sari who burnt to death cooking, after her clothes set fire , I remember in the olden days we'd have adverts and even someone in school to drum in the dangers.. Never pick up spent sparklers, its best to go to organised fireworks than DIY. I remember when my eldest was a baby, this barrel shooter wasn't buried far enough, turned over and started shooting fireworks towards the house. Luckily the bins took the brunt.

I might have come to this thread too late but here are a few thoughts anyway.

I was present at the British Standards meeting to discuss Claudia Winkleman's case. One thing that didn't help was that the BBC and CW had refused to tell us what clothing CW's daughter was actually wearing, making it very difficult to discuss. Also, we had a guest present at this meeting - a Chief Fire Officer who'd appeared on the Watchdog programme setting light to a fancy dress outfit and showing how quickly it went up in flames. This was the same man who is a big fan of flame retardant chemicals (and probably funded by that industry). He was strongly advocating that fancy dress outfits be put under the scope of the UK's Nightwear Safety Regulations. But these kinds of outfits tend to be made out of highly flammable polyester mixes. And there's only one way to get that material through the Nightwear Regs. You guessed it: add flame retardants.

Apart from the unreliability of flame retardants in garments that require regular washing, do any of us really want our kids exposed to them? They were banned from US kids' nightwear when tests on a child who'd worn a flame-retarded nightdress for just one night showed the chemicals had got into her bloodstream.

We already have laws that guarantee children's mattresses and our sofas are stuffed full of flame retardants, damaging their health and development. Do we really want more in their clothing, rather than, as others have said, be more vigilant in avoiding open flames in the first place? Oh, and guess what? The same Fire Officer who was advocating more flame retardants in children's clothing is the same who fought hard against changes to the Furniture Regulations that would have greatly reduced the use of them.

That's interesting jenny Yes what has happened to safety first? Those chemicals are frightening in clothes and for the environment (in their manufacture) .The world is becoming more and more degraded by the use of cheap rubbishy chemicals\ fuels etc.

Most things are dangerous in the wrong hands.