To the American buying public, candles are a popular and largely inexpensive means of adding a sense of warmth, relaxation and luxury to the home. Nearly half of all U.S. women say they specifically use candles as part of their decorating scheme, and candles are used in seven out of ten U.S. households.

On a more jarring note, an estimated 18,000 residential fires are caused each year by the careless or inappropriate use of candles, according to the National Candle Association (NCA). That’s no figure to take lightly.

Retailers are the last point of contact with the consumer before a candle is taken into the home. It just makes sense to help that customer leave your store a bit more educated, so that they will know what fire-causing mishaps to avoid.

Industry Standards
“The average consumer expects a candle to perform properly when they get it home, therefore they do not always pay attention to the candle as it burns,” says James Becker, president of Candle Solutions in Corbin, Ky., and chairman of the ASTM Candle Products Subcommittee, a group that develops standards for candle-fire safety for ASTM International. ASTM is a global standards firm that sets manufacturing standards for various product categories.

The first standard that Becker’s group developed was a labeling standard that provides message points that consumers should be aware of as they burn candles: 1) Burn within sight. 2) Keep away from things that catch fire. 3) Keep away from children and/or pets.