There are few things more relaxing or romantic than a summer evening on the patio – the hammock, the friends and the mood lighting made possible by pretty torch candles positioned around your garden.

Not to spoil the mood, but be careful with these things. Candles, torch candles – whether used for ambiance or bug control – must be handled with care. Remember that embedded in the wax is a support stake, a fragile piece of wood that may catch on fire or break and allow a lit candle to fall.

Keep the flame contained – and your evening relaxed – by following these few pointers:

• Don’t use torch candles indoors. They’re for outdoor use only.
• Secure torch candles in a bucket of sand and place them far from any object (including flowers, shrubs or trees) that may catch on fire.
• Keep kids and pets away from burning candles.
• Don’t use torch candles in windy conditions.
• Don’t group torch candles.
• Before moving a candle, extinguish it and wait for the wax to cool.
• Watch for signs that the candle is not burning correctly. If your torch candle emits a high or intense flame or starts crackling, put it out immediately.
• Don’t blow out the candle. This can spread sparks and hot wax. Instead, use water or a snuffer to extinguish the flame.
• After extinguishing the flame, turn the candle upside-down in a bucket of water. Even candles with little smoke and no flame can start a fire.
• When the candle has only 2 inches of wax left, put it out.
• And, of course, never leave a burning candle unattended.

Source: Health Canada

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