Alternative lighting safety

01 — Safest alternative lighting

Battery-powered lighting is the safest choice during a power outage — no open flame, no combustion, no fire risk.

Power outages create conditions where fire risk from alternative lighting increases. Candles and oil lamps left unattended in unfamiliar dark environments, placed on unstable surfaces, or forgotten when people fall asleep are responsible for a significant share of home fires each year. Battery-powered lanterns and flashlights eliminate that risk entirely.

1. 1

   Battery-powered LED lanterns and flashlights

   No flame, no combustion gases, no fire risk. Modern LED lanterns provide bright, efficient illumination from AA or AAA batteries for many hours. This is the CPSC- and USFA-recommended choice for outage lighting.

2. 2

   Rechargeable power banks and USB lights

   A charged power bank can power USB LED lights for extended periods and also charges phones. No fire risk. Useful as a complement to battery lanterns.

3. 3

   Solar-charged lanterns

   Charged during the day, used at night. No batteries required once charged. Works well in multi-day outages when sunlight is available.

4. 4

   Candles — with strict precautions

   Useful when no battery option is available, but require active supervision. Never left unattended. Never used in a bedroom where people might fall asleep. Placed on stable, non-combustible surfaces away from curtains and other flammables.

5. 5

   Oil lamps — only with ventilation and full supervision

   Higher heat output than candles. Produce combustion gases including CO in quantity, particularly in tight modern homes. Require good ventilation and must never be left burning unattended or used in sleeping areas.

02 — Open-flame lighting risks

Candles cause thousands of home fires each year. The majority involve candles left burning unattended, in bedrooms, or too close to flammable materials.

The CPSC reports that candles cause roughly 7,400 home fires per year in the United States, resulting in approximately 90 deaths and 670 injuries. The leading factors: candle left unattended, candle placed too close to flammable material, candle left burning in a bedroom while a person fell asleep.

If using candles during a power outage: place on a stable, non-combustible holder on a flat surface well away from curtains, paper, bedding, and anything else that can burn. Keep a three-foot clearance. Never carry a lit candle. Extinguish every candle before leaving the room or going to sleep. Never use a candle in a bedroom, bathroom, or near oxygen equipment.

03 — Flashlight placement strategy

A flashlight stored in a drawer you cannot find in the dark is not useful. Placement before an outage determines whether you can navigate safely when the lights go out.

Power outages happen without warning, often at night. The two or three minutes it takes to find a flashlight in the dark are exactly when people make unsafe decisions — reaching for a candle, feeling along surfaces, using a phone screen that dims and locks. Pre-placed flashlights eliminate that window.

• Bedside table in every bedroom. This is the most critical location. A person waking to a dark house or a smoke alarm needs light immediately, before doing anything else.
• Kitchen counter or drawer. Where people spend the most waking hours in a home.
• Main stairwell landing. Stairs are a fall risk in the dark; a flashlight at the top or landing of each flight reduces that risk.
• Near the main electrical panel. If the outage is from a tripped breaker, you need light to investigate safely.
• Emergency kit or grab bag. A dedicated flashlight in your emergency supplies, not borrowed from elsewhere in the house.

Check batteries in all placed flashlights at least twice a year — the same cadence as smoke alarm testing. LED flashlights on quality lithium batteries hold charge for years in storage; alkaline batteries self-discharge over 12 to 24 months in storage. Note: a flashlight sitting for two years may have dead batteries when needed. Rotating batteries or choosing lithium batteries solves this.