Three Easy Steps for Safe Candle Use

From/Contact: Beth Rowan/Robin Russo
               Robin Leedy & Associates,Inc.
               (914) 241-0086
                              browan@robinleedyassociates.com

               FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THREE EASY STEPS FOR SAFE CANDLE USE:
LIGHT, ENJOY, EXTINGUISH

Record Candle Sales Lead Association to Issue Safety Warnings


WASHINGTON, D.C., June 20, 2000 – Candles are everywhere today – lighting the living room, relaxing the bath, and warming the bedroom – and consumers have to take responsibility for every candle they light, says the National Candle Association (NCA), the industry's trade organization.

The NCA estimates that the candle industry will report more than $2.3 billion in sales in 2000 and it wants to make sure consumers find their candle experience enjoyable and safe.

"The industry has almost tripled in the past few years," says Marianne McDermott, NCA executive vice president. "We want people to use and enjoy candles, while respecting the fact that improper use of candles can create a potentially dangerous situation."

"Candle usage has been expanding, and it's clear that too many candle users do not know how to use them properly," says Dr. John Hall, assistant vice president of fire analysis and research for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

McDermott urges consumers to remember the following simple steps: light, enjoy, extinguish. "If people would remember these simple steps, the majority of accidental candle fires would never happen," she says.

Many candle fires start because consumers forget to extinguish candles before they leave a room or fall asleep. Some candle devotees place candles where they can be toppled over by children and pets; others put them too close to combustible materials or mistakenly use them during a power failure instead of a flashlight.

Almost half of all candle-related fires start in the bedroom, according to the most recent figures released by the NFPA. The next primary locale for home candle fires was the living room with 20 percent, followed by the bathroom with 11 percent and the kitchen with seven percent.

"People doze off, leave their candles too close to an open window, bed linens or a fan, or place a candle on a bedside table without a proper holder, giving candles a chance to cause property or personal damage," says McDermott.

People leaving candles unattended, abandoned or inadequately controlled are the three leading causes of fires in candle-related incidents, according to the NFPA. Less than three percent of all home fires started with candles as reported in 1997, the latest year national fire statistics are available, the NFPA says.

The National Candle Association represents some 68 candle manufacturers, and their businesses account for 95 percent of the candles made in the United States. The NCA is committed to educating consumers on the proper and safe use of all candles.

For more information on candle safety, visit the NCA online news bureau at http://wrtsun03.wrtech.com/secure/plsql/pr201v2?source=PR0001.SQL&coin=11164 or contact Beth Rowan (914) 241-0086 or browan@robinleedyassociates.com.
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