How much attention do you pay to fire safety?
Asked by
longgone (
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October 31st, 2015
Halloween seems to bring out the wannabe arsonists, in my neighbourhood. Right now, on a brief walk, I saw unattended candles right next to doormats and billowing curtains. I also passed a group of kids, attended by two adults. The adults were trying to take care of:
* nine children aged between eight and ten, each equipped with a torch
* a five-year-old
* a toddler
* a young, unruly, and fairly large dog
While I was watching, one of the kids set a patch of grass on fire.
I’ll admit to being overly cautious, at times. Especially where flames are involved. What about you, would these situations concern you?
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3 Answers
For years, I marked the path to my front door with luminaries – those decorations that look like paper lunch bags but are colorful and have holiday designs cut into their sides. About 2 centimeters of sand line each bottom, to hold a lit candle and keep the luminary stable. The effect is very pretty and inviting. http://www.link-pop.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/gold-cardboard-paper-luminary-package-of-8-candle-holders-paper-candle-holders.jpg
I once saw a little girl, wearing a long, flowing costume, get much too close to one of those luminaries. I immediately extinguished all the candles and never used them again. My goal had been to welcome neighborhood children, not to set them on fire.
Why not dress the little ones as scarecrows with real straw stuffed in their shirts and then let them carry torches. lol
Seriously, I am very fire conscious, though not taking any kids out tonight but living in a high risk forest fire zone on a rural property and in the drought here in CA. being fire conscious is second nature.
That said, I have had several near accidents over the years,completely unexpected with no reckless intent.
I once lit a citronella torch in a large potted tree on my deck thinking it would be safe and the bamboo stick on the torch caught fire after the candle part burned down and melted the side of the pot into my deck!
Another time I had a candle burning on the table on the deck and my mega fluffy kitty jumped up and swooshed his giant plume of a tail across it and singed his tail. It never crossed my mind I might set my cat on fire accidentally! Thank God I was sitting right there!
The there was the time I set my bedroom curtains on fire with a candle lit for ambiance during a romantic evening with an ex boyfriend some years ago. Set it on a wicker shelf and the breeze blew the sheer curtains over the flame and set them on fire. No major fire but a shocking moment in the middle of a hot moment. haha
The most innocent of ideas can go dreadfully wrong when playing with fire.
Fire is one of the few things I’m a little OCD about. I almost never light candles. I do have a citronella candle lit right now right outside my front door for Halloween, but as you know those are down in metal containers. It’s not close to anything that could catch fire and the air is still tonight.
For Chanukah I put aluminum foil under the menorah and if I have to leave before they burn out I blow them out, which is a huge no no. Chanukah candles are the only candles I light that are tall in small bases. I like short fat candles that can’t tip easily, preferable inside of glass.
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