What's the safest way to set up and light the menorah?

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Forum -> Yom Tov / Holidays -> Chanukah

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amother

Mon, Dec 23 2019, 1:22 pm

Are there any safety precautions some of us might be missing?

mommyW

Mon, Dec 23 2019, 3:28 pm

Make sure your curtains are totally open and your fire alarm has a working battery.

amother

Powderblue

Mon, Dec 23 2019, 3:43 pm

Don’t leave the house or go to sleep when the flames are burning

amother

Red

Mon, Dec 23 2019, 3:49 pm

Keep a bucket of water handy. Keep an eye on little kids running around in the vicinity of the lit candles.

jfk92

Mon, Dec 23 2019, 3:50 pm

We have a toddler. We light without any curtain in that window. As in we totally remove it. Its then blocked w some short chairs (not to close but like a barrier) so no matter what our DS cant get too close- but menorah is still visible. DS is also not allowed in the living room alone when candles are lit. And theres no going to sleep with fire still burning.

flmommy

Mon, Dec 23 2019, 4:19 pm

I line the folding table with tin foil

ra_mom

Mon, Dec 23 2019, 6:11 pm

We light where we light shabbos candles, not at the window, since at the window would be too precarious.

Last edited by ra_mom on Mon, Dec 23 2019, 7:32 pm; edited 1 time in total

lilies

Mon, Dec 23 2019, 6:23 pm

General rule for candles - not to be put on kitchen counter with upper cabinets.

amother

Pearl

Mon, Dec 23 2019, 7:01 pm

I try to line any place where a candle MIGHT fall with foil. So I don't put a menorah too close to the end of a table, where a falling candle would land on the floor. I also have an adult check candles for stability.

zaq

Mon, Dec 23 2019, 7:09 pm

amother [ Red ] wrote:

Keep a bucket of water handy. Keep an eye on little kids running around in the vicinity of the lit candles.

NEVER use water to put out an oil or wax fire. Doing so will just spread the flames as the burning oil or wax floats on the water. Buy an ABC fire extinguisher, which works for all three most common types of fires, and READ the instructions BEFORE you ever need to use it.

And don’t just move your curtains or blinds aside—TAKE THEM OFF THE WINDOW and put them away for the duration.

amother

Red

Mon, Dec 23 2019, 7:48 pm

True. I meant, if ch"v somebody's clothing catches on fire. (Heard a terrible story about 20 years ago about an 8 or 9 year old boy this happened to when he got too close to the menorah. No adults around and he didnt know to stop drop and roll. I think in the end he was ok. But required lengthy hospitalization.)

amother

Wine

Tue, Dec 24 2019, 4:20 pm

I line the windowsill with foil and sit in the room and watch the candles for at least half hr. Then I blow them out. I started this 2 yrs ago after seeing the devastation an unattended fire can cause.

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