LONDON - Aromatherapy and the fashion for using candles and tea-lights in home decoration is causing dozens of deaths and thousands of injuries from house fires, the British Government said yesterday.
The Home Office released figures showing that in a five-year period to the end of 1998, candles were the cause
of nearly 7000 house blazes, resulting in 61 deaths and 3000 injuries.
The figures suggested that with the increasing preference for candlelit evenings, the number of house blazes caused by candles was rising - from 992 in 1994 to 1752 in 1998, an increase of 77 per cent. The number of injuries had increased from 455 in 1994 to 772 in 1998 - a rise of 70 per cent.
The Home Office Minister Mike O'Brien said: "Candles and night lights are being used and enjoyed in increasing numbers in homes. However, fire statistics show a worrying increase in the number of fires, fatalities and injuries caused by candle fires."
O'Brien launched a campaign across England and Wales to reduce the number of house blazes. The Home Office was concerned that in spite of the widespread use of smoke alarms and steps to make household furniture less of a fire hazard, house fires were still causing an average of one death and 35 injuries every day.
Figures showed candles were now responsible for five house fires every day. Most broke out between 9 pm and midnight when candles were increasingly being used to add atmosphere, particularly in the living room and bedroom. But 152 of the candle fires in 1998 started in bathrooms, which officials believed might be linked to the trend of placing tea-lights around the bath.
Curtains were most likely to be set alight by candles, followed by bedding and clothing.
Although cooking and cigarettes remained the chief cause of the 160 accidental house fires in England and Wales every day, candles accounted for 3 per cent of blazes and 6 per cent of fire injuries.
The campaign advice would point out that smoke alarms were effective only if occupants were aware of escape routes from the house.
- INDEPENDENT
