Staff Reports

Chino – According to the Chino Valley Fire District, Firefighters have responded to two residential structure fires since Jan. 1 that ignited as a result of unattended candles. According to the National Fire Protection Association, there are approximately 29 residential structure fires reported each day that are related to candles, with nearly half of those fires occurring when some form of combustible material was left on or came too close to the candle.

Do not become a statistic, use candles safely. Candle fires can be very damaging, but they are completely preventable. Below are some tips that will help you prevent this type of fire in your home.

• Always keep a burning candle within sight
• Never burn candles on or near anything that can catch fire
• Always keep burning candles out of the reach of children and pets
• Never use candles as a source of heat
• Always use an appropriate candleholder and place it on a stable, heat-resistant surface
• Extinguish all candles when leaving the house, room of use, or when going to bed
• Ensure that you have smoke alarms correctly installed and that they are in good working order

For more information on fire safety and smoke alarms, please visit www.chinovalleyfire.org.