Few things make a house feel ready for the holidays faster than a lit candle on the mantel or a cluster of votives on the dinner table. The trouble is that the same season that brings out the candles also brings crowded rooms, paper wrapping, dried greenery and plenty of distractions. Fire safety groups consistently point to December and January as the months when candle fires spike, and nearly all of them are preventable.

Why Candle Fires Peak This Time of Year

Think about what a typical December living room contains: a dry tree, garland draped across shelves, stacks of gift boxes, holiday cards, maybe a table runner or two. Add guests moving around, kids excited about presents and a dog weaving between legs, and a single open flame suddenly has a lot of opportunities to cause trouble.

National fire safety organizations report that the leading factor in candle fires is simply placement. A candle sits too near curtains, bedding, decorations or paper, and the heat or a stray flicker does the rest. That is good news in a way, because placement is something you control completely.

Where to Put a Candle (and Where Not To)

Before you light anything, look at the spot with fresh eyes. A good candle location has three things going for it: a stable surface, room to breathe and low traffic.

• A flat, sturdy, heat-resistant surface that will not tip if someone bumps the table
• At least a foot of clear space on every side, including above the flame
• Out of reach of small children and away from where pets jump or swish their tails
• Away from open windows, heating vents and ceiling fans that can push the flame sideways
• Not inside or tucked into a centerpiece, wreath or garland, even if it is just a tea light

Good Burning Habits

Where a candle sits is only half the story. How you burn it matters too. These habits take seconds and make a real difference.

1. Stay in the room. If you are heading out, going to bed or getting absorbed in a movie in another room, put the candle out first.
2. Trim before every burn. A wick cut to roughly a quarter inch burns cleaner and calmer. Long or curled wicks tend to flare, smoke and drip. An inexpensive wick trimmer makes this easy.
3. Respect the label. Manufacturers list a maximum burn time for a reason. Some containers get dangerously hot after several hours. If a candle has no safety instructions at all, take that as a sign it may not meet basic standards.
4. Watch the flame. A tall, jumping or smoking flame usually means the wick is too long or there is a draft. Extinguish it, let it cool, trim and relight.
5. Put it out gently. A snuffer or wick dipper avoids splattering hot wax and the cloud of smoke that comes with blowing it out.

Knowing When a Candle Is Done

It is tempting to squeeze every last hour out of a nice candle, but the final stretch is when it is most likely to cause problems. As the wax gets low, the flame sits closer to the glass or the surface underneath, and containers can crack from the heat.

A widely used rule of thumb is to stop when about two inches of wax remain on a pillar candle, or about half an inch remains in a jar. Some candles are designed to self-extinguish, but it is wiser not to rely on that.

Quality Is a Safety Feature

Bargain candles can burn unevenly, tunnel or throw oversized flames. Pay attention to how the size of the candle matches the number of wicks. A narrow candle crammed with several wicks can run hot and fast, while a wide candle with too few wicks may burn lopsided. Reputable makers design and test these combinations, which is part of what you pay for.

Flameless Options Have Come a Long Way

If you love the ambiance but worry about kids, pets or a busy household, today’s alternatives are worth a look.

Many households land on a mix: real candles at the dinner table while everyone is seated, and battery candles in windows, on stairs and anywhere they might be forgotten.

The Insurance Side of a Small Flame

A homeowners or renters policy typically includes coverage for fire damage to the dwelling and belongings, subject to your deductible, limits and the policy’s terms. What many people do not realize until after a loss is how quickly smoke and soot damage spreads through a home, or how much their belongings would really cost to replace.

If you are not sure how your current policy would respond to a fire, the team at Callicott Insurance Agency can walk through it with you.

This article is for general information only. Coverage varies by insurer, policy and state; review your own policy or talk with a licensed agent about your situation.