That was scary!!

Wow!! I just learned a few important life lessons tonight.

Lesson #1: when they say to not leave candles unattended, they're not kidding!!! I just left long enough to go clean the litter boxes and narrowly avoided disaster.

Lesson #2: leaving the match in the candle (after you drop it from nearly burning your fingers) might be relatively safe for large candles, but it's not a good idea for little ones.

Lesson #3: thank god for smoke detectors!! (please check that yours are working)

Lesson #4: did you know that when you turn off a little candle that's burning like crazy by pouring water on it, it will initially give out a really big flame before dying? It would have been kind of cool if I wasn't so worried about burning the whole place down.

I'm still a little shaky from the experience. And right after I spent about 20 minutes mediating to calm myself down from a long day

Lesson #5: maybe I should go buy myself a fire extinguisher, just to be safe.

But enough learning for today. I'm just about ready to go to bed.

Wow. Very glad you caught it in time!

I'm terrified of fire, and don't use candles much because of it. Y'know those little battery-operated tealight "candles" they have now, that sit down in votive holders and look just lovely? I think those are the greatest thing since hot rollers! They're going to save a lot of lives, I imagine...

Oh my goodness!! Thank goodness you are okay

Holy smokes!! Thank god you caught it in time!
Once I came home from work and realized the stove eye was on--had been all day. That gave me a sick feeling, so I can only imagine how you feel.

Wow what a close call. Thankfully I have never had a large fire (at least not inside). Good thing you got it out in time.

Didn't your mother ever teach you not to play with fire?

Baking soda is actually better for putting out some fires than water is - water causes splatter, whereas baking soda smothers it.

Another good reason to keep a few extra boxes handy.

I'm glad that you're all ok despite the scare!

Wow, glad to hear you're all okay!

Close call sweetie - glad you caught it!

Oh my, thank goodness everything was okay!

And thanks for reminding me to buy a fire extinguisher!

Glad you're ok, and you caught it in time. I'm always nervous when burning candles (but I LOVE them) and matches scare the crap out of me! That's why I use a lighter to light my candles. Also, FYI if you use candles that come with lids, put the lid back on after blowing them out. I didn't think about it until DH told me to do it, but if the wick didn't go out completely, the lid will smother a potential flame.

And, I do know my fire alarms work...I set mine of a few nights ago making dinner in the oven.

Sounds scary. I don't walk away from candles while they are burning because I am too afraid of what will happen. We have a fire extinguisher here incase anything happens. Its in a hole in the wall like you see in schools because this house used to be a school.

Originally Posted by GingersMom

Baking soda is actually better for putting out some fires than water is - water causes splatter, whereas baking soda smothers it.

Another good reason to keep a few extra boxes handy.

I'm glad that you're all ok despite the scare!

Click to expand...

Baking soda is the ONLY thing to use on grease/oil fires. Water will make the fire worse.

I was deep-frying chicken once and the pan caught on fire. I reached into the cupboard, grabbed the soda, sprinkled the fire and put a lid on the pan without batting an eyelash. Then I started shaking like a leaf. At least I knew I could keep my head in case of an emergency.

Honestly, every kitchen should have a proper fire extinguisher and it should be checked monthly to ensure it still has a charge.

Everybody should have a fire extinguisher in working order. Our tenants once managed to set our house on fire by leaving a bathroom towel too close to a space heater they weren't supposed to have. It's a very sick feeling to watch your upper storey and roof burn while waiting for the fire company to get there in a snowstorm.

I don't light candles, because cats and candles just don't mix.

That sounds scary. I'm gald everthing's OK.

Glad you are okay!
Not lighting candles would not be an option here because we celebrate Shabbat every week. I learned from Martha Stewart that the best way to blow out a candle (not the votive kind) is to put your finger in front of the flame and blow. No wax drips that way.