The Cat’s Out of The Bag- Pets and Candles Don’t Mix

8/17/2021 (Permalink)

It's not something you see every day...

Picture this: you are snuggled in your living room with your friends after a long day of work. The TV is on and there is a candle lit on the coffee table RIGHT where you can see it for comfort. It seems like having the open flame directly before your eyes would make it safe to enjoy the ambiance of a softly lit candle. That is probably what we were all thinking before things went terribly wrong.

THE PURRRFECT DISASTER

I got my cat Pepper back in February of 2021, though sweet and cuddly, she is curious and loves to cause mischief. They do say curiosity killed the cat… Thankfully she is alive and happy as can be, her tail however, let’s just say it’s not as fluffy and silky soft as it once was.

While we were mid-episode, Pepper jumped up on the coffee table, as cats do. As we know, the candle, Soft Cashmere Amber, to be exact, had also made its home on that same table. Pepper, who I tend to call my “dog cat”, due to her excessive tail wagging, wagged her tail… you guessed it, RIGHT OVER the burning flame of the candle. If you are familiar with how a sparkler on the fourth of July lights up, just imagine that except the screaming and laughter from little children was replaced with the screaming of three very concerned and shocked roommates. Pepper ran, jumped, and hit the floor (a stop, drop, and roll, if you will) causing her tail to miraculously extinguish.

THE AFTERMATH

When all was said and done, what we were left with was a very unpleasant smell in our house for a couple of days, and one tail with a limited amount of char. Two things that we gladly took, over what the alternative could have been. A little bit of brushing and some cuddles made Pepper good as new

THE LESSON

Sometimes things can go wrong right in front of your eyes, which makes it even more inevitable that disaster can strike at any time and you might not be there to put the flame out in the moment.

In the U.S. alone, candles cause roughly 8,000 home fires. Additionally, candle fires have cause approximately 80 deaths and 700 injuries each year. This number seems to grow rapidly each year.

Keep yourself and your furry friends safe by avoiding burning candles in your home. If you can’t give up that delicate light and fresh smell, follow these tips to avoid becoming a statistic:

• Never leave an open flame unattended
• Make sure that the candle is completely out before leaving your home
• Burn your candle far away from anything that can catch fire, including but not limited to: curtains, towels, blankets, bedding, carpet, books, and furniture
• Make sure children and pets cannot reach the candle
• Never move or touch a candle when it is lit

HERE TO HELP

In the event that your best efforts are not enough to keep your home (or pets) from going up in flames, SERVPRO is readily available to help! We have highly trained technicians who have the heart and skill for cleaning up after a disaster, no matter the size!