Firefighters have warned about the importance of fire safety during Navratri and Diwali calebrations.
The Hindu nine-day festival of Navratri began on Tuesday (October 9) and ends on Thursday (October 18), leading up to Diwali which is to be celebrated on November 7.
Navratri celebrates the the power of the goddess, in different forms, including Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati.
Communities across the world including large Hindu communities in west London boroughs of Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow.
Although the festival is celebrated differently across different the world, it is often marked by the garba dance as well as burning candles, incense and lamps.
However last Diwali, an unattended candle caused a fire at a block of flats in Northolt Road, forcing its 70 residents to evacuate.
Speaking at the time, Watch Manager Pat Flynn, said: “This fire could have been a lot worse but fortunately a quick-thinking neighbour rang the Brigade immediately after seeing flames inside the flat.
“Crews arrived on scene very quickly and managed to contain the fire to the bedroom and stopped it spreading to the rest of the property.
“With Diwali celebrations continuing today (Friday, October 20) and tomorrow we would urge Londoners to never leave candles unattended."
However months later another unattended candle at a religious shrine caused a fire at a home in Christchurch Rad, Harrow, caused serious damage.
Across London, 234 fires were found to ave been started by unattended candles in 2017.
The risk of fires at times of celebration, including Diwali, Christmas and Halloween are heightened, the London Fire Brigade says.
If your clothes do catch fire, it is important to stop and not run, firefighters say, as that can help the spread of the fire.
The next thing to do is drop to the ground and then to roll, ideally in a heavy fabric or a fire blanket in order to smother the flames out.
How to use candles and incense safely
- Make sure you put out any candles, incense and oil burners when you leave the room and especially before bed.
- These items should always be held firmly in heat-resistant holders and placed on a stable surface where they won’t be knocked over.
- Keep them away from materials that might catch fire – that's things like curtains, furniture, clothes and hair.
- Be especially careful if you have a lot of flammable items in your home, like collections of books, magazines or papers.
- Be aware that tea lights get very hot and without proper holders can melt through plastic surfaces like a TV or bath.
- To avoid accidents keep candles and other naked flames out of reach of children and pets.
- LED candles can be a great alternative – they're safe even if you fall asleep or forget to blow them out!
