Narrow escape as American candle bursts into flames

Nathasha Bates, from the Killicomaine area, was alerted to the danger when the glass of another candle cracked in the living room where she and two-year-old Austin were watching television.

“I had just lit the batch of six candles in various parts of the house,” she said. “I immediately checked the others five, and was horrified to find that the one in the kitchen was on fire, the glass container had shattered, and the flames were shooting up the wall. I managed to get the flames out and was grateful that I caught it in time.”

Luckily the kitchen was in the throes of being redecorated and the wall suffered slight scorch damage with Natasha acting so quickly.

She added, “The living room is next to the kitchen, and if Austin and I had been upstairs the house could have caught fire with us in it. The other four candles – elsewhere in the house – were fine, but I wasn’t taking any chances and extinguished them all.

“The glass containing the kitchen candle had broken into two halves and the wax was alight.

“I’m a domiciliary care worker and had undergone fire training at the old Lurgan Hospital a few days earlier, so I had placed the kitchen candle away from the cloth cover on the shelf and the artificial Christmas tree in the kitchen.”

Natasha’s dad. Shane McCullough, took the candles back to the Poundland shop at Magowan Building where she had bought them, He said, “When I informed the manager what had happened, he acted totally responsibly. He also offered to compensate Natasha, but we aren’t after compensation.

“We just want the situation highlighted so that people are made aware and aren’t placed in the same danger.”

The manager Glenn Patterson told the Portadown Times, “We can only apologise over what happened, and have removed the 15 sets of candles that were still on the shelves. We have informed headquarters so that they will take the appropriate action.

“If Natasha comes to see us, we will make sure she receives goods to the value of those she bought.

“We are glad the family brought this to our notice.”