Candles, Cooking and Caution: Fire safety tips to keep your Valentine’s Day safe

This Valentine’s Day, make sure your romantic gestures stay memorable for the right reasons. When lighting candles and cooking a special meal, the National Fire Protection Association says to closely monitor food cooking on the stove or in the oven, and to use candles with caution.

“If you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day at home this year, your plans likely include a special meal and candles,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA. “Our goal is to help ensure that everyone enjoys the holiday with fire safety in mind.”

According to NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of reported home fires and home fire injuries year-round. Unattended cooking is a factor in over one-quarter (29%) of reported home cooking fires and half of the associated deaths.

Simple cooking safety tips include the following:

• Stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling, or broiling food.
• Have a "kid and pet-free zone" of at least 3 feet (1 meter) around the stove.
• Keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner.
• Set a timer to remind you that you are cooking.

Candles are also a leading cause of home fires and must be used with caution and supervision. NFPA data shows that half of all candle fires started when a flammable object — such as furniture, bedding, curtains, home décor, or clothing — was too close to a lit candle. In 21% of home candle fires, the candle was either left unattended, discarded, or otherwise misused. More than one-third of candle fires (36%) started in the bedroom.

Consider using batter-operated flameless candles, which proved a similar look and feel to real candles while eliminating the risk of fire.

If you do plan to use real candles, NFPA recommends the following:

• Don't use lit candles in bedrooms, bathrooms, and sleeping areas.
• Use stable candle holders and place candles where they can't be easily knocked over.
• Keep candles at least one foot away from anything that can burn.
• Keep hair and loose clothing away from the flame.
• Don't burn a candle all the way down — put it out before it gets too close to the holder or container.
• Store matches and lighters up high, out of children's reach, preferably in a locked cabinet.
• Never leave a burning candle unattended.
• Blow out candles when you leave the room or go to bed.

For more information about cooking and candle safety, visit our cooking safety and candle safety pages.

In addition, NFPA encourages the public to make sure they have working smoke alarms and develop and practice a home escape plan.