Gel Candles & Information

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this was in a email and thought I should post it.

Gel Candles Hazards



My former secretary had a terrible thing

happen to her and her family last week, and I wanted

to share it with all of you so that you could be warned

and warn your friends and family as well. She had a gel

candle burning in her bathroom...it exploded and caught her

house on fire. The house burned down and they lost

everything. The fire Marshall told her that this is not the

first incident where a gel candle has exploded and

caused a fire. He said that the gel builds up a gas and

often times it explodes and sets fire to the room it is in,

which is what happened to her. The fire was so hot it

melted the smoke alarm, and they didn't discover the

fire until there was an explosion, which was her toilet

blowing up, and then it was too late...the entire upstairs

was engulfed in flames. Smoke damage and water

damage have destroyed what wasn't destroyed by fire.

Please pass this along to anyone I missed. I wouldn't

want this to happen to anyone else. Her family is

devastated. All their mementoes and everything of value

and meaning are gone. Thanks and take care!



Note: Marty and I know a lady who loves the gel candles.

She had one burning on her mantel and it caught fire just

like the message above. She was at home at the time

and saw it happen and grabbed the candle to keep it from

setting her home on fire and it came apart in her hand.

She saved her home but suffered 3rd degree burns to her

hand and 3 fingers. Please if you or anyone you

know have these candles, don't light them, they are

dangerous. Please pass this along.



And as if those two stories weren't enough...My husband

was home on vacation and had a gel candle lit on the

top of the entertainment center. He too saw the candle

burst into flames. His first instinct was to blow the candle

out. Well, that didn't work, so he blew harder....the gel

from the candle splattered and went everywhere. Everywhere

including his face. He had 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree burns

all over his face. The gel doesn't cool like wax does, so the

bits that were still on his face continued to burn him.

And you can't wipe the stuff off, it just rolls up and keeps

burning. Please don't use gel candles. Fortunately his scars are not noticeable now, but the what ifs

>are tremendous. This is definitely a forward that is a MUST!





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OTHER RESPONSES:

just an idea.... what I do with my gel candles is to take the center out. I cut it with a knife or use a mellon baller. Just deep enough to place a votive inside. Then I place a wax candle inside the votive. I burn the wax candle and still have the pretty gel candle.


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Hi all,

Excuse me for butting in here, (first time to this board, and it's a nice place), but I just have to answer this thread.

I make and sell gel candles(paraffin too), and I just want to make everyone aware that the e-mail about gel candles is an old one and not entirely true. I hope I'm not sounding rude here ,just want to debunk this "myth" as candles get a bad rap as is. If you go to Urban Legends Reference Pages and type in the words gel candles and scroll down towards the bottom of the page this "myth" is explained. Don't want to type it all here as this is getting long winded enough

Thanks, Another Canuck!


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Please email me where we can get newspaper acounts of these stories or the names of the towns so I can contact the fire marshall. Also was this Gel wax or home made wax. What was in the candles to make them burn this way? Did anyone add a object to make it burn wrong like candy or wood? Please be aware that if this is not true you may be held acountable for making false statments that may harm sales. I hope the host understands this too.

Gene Bolek

Bolek's Craft Supplys

craft.supplys@att.net


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I went to the snopes site and found it very informative. Reader's Digest condensed version is that the CONTAINER may explode, if it can't withstand the heat gel candles generate. You'll notice when you buy fragrance oils that not all of them are safe for use in gel candles, for this reason.



I've had regular wax votive holders "explode" for this reason as well-- glass was too thin, left the candle burning a long time-- the heat generated by the candle was too much for the glass, and it "exploded". Needless to say, I use heavier glass holders now and check the temperature of the container occasionally if I leave the candle burning a long time.



Also you need to be careful what embeds you use in gel candles, that they aren't flammable.