With the holiday season in full swing, the Glendale Fire Department
wants residents to remember to use candles safely. Candles in the
home cause more than 10,000 fires and 120 deaths per year nationally,
according to the National Fire Protection Assn.
On Dec. 16, a candle in the back of an unattached garage in the
900 block of East Glenoaks Boulevard became a part of that statistic.
A Glendale man told officers his 15-year-old son lighted a candle in
a room behind the garage because the electricity had been shut down.
Fire investigators determined the candle started the fire.
Glendale Fire officials are reminding people to extinguish all
candles when leaving a room or going to sleep. People should also
keep candles on stable surfaces in sturdy holders and away from items
that can catch fire. Candles should not be placed in places where
children or pets can knock them over and people should never carry a
lighted candle, fire officials said.
For more information, log on to the association's Web site at
www.nfpa.org.
Darleene Barrientos
