Don't put water on a candle...

TonyR

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Wow...poor young lady.

I'm sorry she got burned but this type of reaction has been around a long, long time. Like using water to put out a grease fire. Or putting a frozen turkey into hot oil. Or putting water on hot candle wax (paraffin is a petroleum by-product) or even soy-based candles....in all cases the cooler substance can't get out of the way of the hotter stuff fast enough and due to super-rapid expansion ends up in your face, hands, on the carpet, drapes, etc. People and houses get badly burned.

That's why a lid on a pan that's burning with oil or grease is advised....no more air available, the flames use it all and go out quickly. Candles are meant to either be GENTLY blown out AWAY from yourself or others, snuffed out with a lid or saucer..I've even wet my thumb and forefinger with my tongue and a quick pinch will put the wick out with a wet sizzle.

The best lessons are sometimes learned at great expense. :confused:

EDIT: BTW, I wonder if the Fire Triangle is taught or discussed in school any more?
 
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Smilingreen

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Wow...poor young lady.

I'm sorry she got burned but this type of reaction has been around a long, long time. Like using water to put out a grease fire. Or putting a frozen turkey into hot oil. Or putting water on hot candle wax (paraffin is a petroleum by-product) or even soy-based candles....in all cases the cooler substance can't get out of the way of the hotter stuff fast enough and due to super-rapid expansion ends up in your face, hands, on the carpet, drapes, etc. People and houses get badly burned.

That's why a lid on a pan that's burning with oil or grease is advised....no more air available, the flames use it all and go out quickly. Candles are meant to either be GENTLY blown out AWAY from yourself or others, snuffed out with a lid or saucer..I've even wet my thumb and forefinger with my tongue and a quick pinch will put the wick out with a wet sizzle.

The best lessons are sometimes learned at great expense. :confused:

EDIT: BTW, I wonder if the Fire Triangle is taught or discussed in school any more?
It's taught in fire school. Heat, fuel and oxygen. Remove any one of the three and the fire goes out.
 

TonyR

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It's taught in fire school. Heat, fuel and oxygen. Remove any one of the three and the fire goes out.
+1^^
Yeah, we even had periodic work safety training which included that, was required (then) by OSHA. If your work truck or place of business has a fire extinguisher, one needs to know how to properly use it and which type of extinguisher is right for a certain type of fire.
 
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