In the state of Minnesota, at least 345 fires have been started by candles since 2018, according to statistics provided by the State Fire Marshal division of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

From those fires, one person has died and 34 others were injured. It is believed fires caused by candles have caused $9.4 million in property damage and $2.9 million in loss of belongings.

Tips to prevent fires started by candles from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety:

Choose flameless candles. Most offer the same flicker effect as real candles and come in scented varieties.
Keep traditional candles in a sturdy container that cannot be tipped over.
Extinguish candles before leaving the room or going to sleep. Never leave a candle burning when someone isn’t in the room.
Use flashlights — not candles — for emergency lighting if the power goes out.

It is believed that 80 percent of families haven’t practiced home fire drills, according to the department, which could be a deadly mistake because you have as little as a few minutes to safely escape your home once the smoke alarm sounds.

When your house is on fire, you’re scared and in a panic. Simply thinking about a plan, jotting it down on paper and discussing it with your family isn’t enough. You need to practice the plan at least twice a year, State Fire Marshal officials said.

It’s also important for parents to teach their children to escape on their own in case an adult can’t get to them. Make sure your children know the sound of a smoke alarm, will wake up to it and know how to escape. It is also important to teach children not to hide during a fire alarm if they are afraid of the sound. Teach them to get out and stay out. Nobody should ever go back inside.

A few pointers for creating your escape plan:

Designate a safe meeting place outside your home that everyone can get to after a fire.
Use graph paper to draw a floor plan of your home and show two ways out of each room.
Make sure each family member is aware of escape options from each room.
Practice your family escape plan twice each year.
Walk through your home periodically and inspect all exits and escape routes.

The department said it cannot stress enough the importance of working smoke alarms. Working smoke alarms provide the valuable seconds needed to escape a burning residence. Alarms save lives — but only if they work. Test your alarms and change the batteries at least once a year (recommended during daylight saving time).

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