prEN 15493

Candles - Specification for fire safety

This document specifies requirements and test methods for the fire safety of candles intended to be burned indoors.

Kerzen - Spezifikation für die Feuersicherheit

Dieses Dokument legt Anforderungen und Prüfverfahren für die Feuersicherheit von Kerzen fest, die für den Abbrand im Innenbereich bestimmt sind.

Bougies - Spécification relative à la sécurité incendie

Le présent document spécifie les exigences et les méthodes d'essai relatives à la sécurité contre les risques d'incendie des bougies destinées à un usage intérieur.

Sveče - Specifikacija za požarno varnost

Ta dokument določa zahteve in preskusne metode za požarno varnost sveč, namenjenih za uporabo v notranjih prostorih.

General Information

• Status: Not Published
• Publication Date: 19-Sep-2027
• ICS: 71.100.99 - Other products of the chemical industry
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 369 - Project Committee - Candle fire safety
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 369 - Project Committee - Candle fire safety
• Current Stage: 4020 - Submission to enquiry - Enquiry
• Start Date: 26-Mar-2026
• Due Date: 21-Mar-2026
• Completion Date: 26-Mar-2026
• Ref Project: oSIST prEN 15493:2026 - Candles - Specification for fire safety

Relations

• Revises: EN 15493:2019 - Candles - Specification for fire safety
• Effective Date: 10-Jan-2024

Overview

prEN 15493:2026, developed by CEN/TC 369, is the draft European standard that specifies requirements and test methods for the fire safety of candles intended for indoor use. This standard aims to ensure a high level of consumer safety by minimizing fire risks associated with burning candles. It addresses core aspects such as candle stability, control of flame height, prevention of secondary ignition, criteria for self-extinguishing candles, and the fire behaviour of various types of candles, including freestanding, container, and multiple wick candles.

prEN 15493:2026 will supersede EN 15493:2019 and reflects updated safety terminology, introduces specific requirements for container and multiple wick candles, and provides more detailed test procedures and reporting guidelines.

Key Topics

• Stability Requirements
  Candles, including those sold with holders or accessories, must not tip over when tested on a 10-degree incline to reduce tipping and the risk of fire.

• Flame Height Control
  The standard sets maximum permitted flame heights (75 mm for most candles and 30 mm for tea lights) to prevent dangerously large flames.

• Secondary Ignition Prevention
  Candles must not support self-sustained secondary ignition (flames other than the intended wick) for more than 10 seconds.

• Self-Extinguishing Properties
  Requirements exist for candles marketed as self-extinguishing to ensure the flame adequately extinguishes before all the wax or supporting structure is consumed, preventing ignition of surfaces or holders.

• Behaviour After Extinguishing
  Candles should not spontaneously re-light. Visible smoke from the wick after extinguishing (aftersmoke) must not exceed 30 seconds on average.

• Container Candle Safety
  Containers should not crack or break during the burn. If combustible or potentially porous materials are used, the standard prescribes container flammability tests.

• Multiple Wick Candle Integrity
  For candles with more than one wick, the wicks must remain separated and must not form a single large flame for more than 5 seconds.

• Testing Procedures and Reporting
  Clear instructions are given regarding sample preparation, burning conditions, measurement of flame height and aftersmoke, and comprehensive test reporting.

Applications

prEN 15493:2026 is essential for:

• Manufacturers of Candles:
  Ensuring that products meet rigorous fire safety standards before market release.
• Importers and Retailers:
  Verifying compliance with recognized European fire safety requirements for candles marketed or sold within the EU.
• Testing Laboratories:
  Providing standardized methods to assess candle safety characteristics, such as stability, flame behaviour, and container safety.
• Regulatory Authorities:
  Reference for market surveillance, product certification, and consumer protection in relation to domestic fire safety.
• Consumers:
  Facilitating safer use of candles in homes and commercial buildings through improved product design and information.

This standard addresses various candle types, including container candles, tea lights, floating candles, freestanding, and non-freestanding candles, as well as those with multiple wicks and candles paired with holders.

Related Standards

The following standards are closely associated with prEN 15493 and provide additional requirements or testing guidance:

• EN 15494:2019 - Candles - Product safety labels
  Specifies mandatory and optional safety labeling for candle products.
• EN 15426:2018 - Candles - Specification for sooting behaviour
  Details testing for soot emissions, complementing fire safety.
• ASTM F2417-24 - Standard Specification for Fire Safety for Candles
  Internationally referenced for similar fire safety requirements.
• ASTM F2601-18 - Standard Specification for Fire Safety for Candle Accessories
  Relevant to holders and other accessories supplied with candles.
• EN ISO 13732-1 - Ergonomics of the thermal environment - Methods for the assessment of human responses to contact with hot surfaces
  Useful for evaluating the risk of burns from candle containers.

By adhering to prEN 15493, companies support better fire safety for candles, reduce the risk of fire and injury, and demonstrate compliance with European best practices for domestic and commercial safety.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-maj-2026
Sveče - Specifikacija za požarno varnost
Candles - Specification for fire safety
Kerzen - Spezifikation für die Feuersicherheit
Bougies - Spécification relative à la sécurité incendie
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 15493
ICS:
13.120 Varnost na domu Domestic safety
13.220.01 Varstvo pred požarom na Protection against fire in
splošno general
97.180 Razna oprema za dom in Miscellaneous domestic and
trgovino commercial equipment
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
March 2026
ICS 71.100.99 Will supersede EN 15493:2019
English Version
Candles - Specification for fire safety
Bougies - Spécification relative à la sécurité incendie Kerzen - Spezifikation für die Feuersicherheit
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 369.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations
which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.

This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.

Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2026 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 15493:2026 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3
Introduction . 4
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 5
3 Terms and definitions . 5
4 Safety requirements . 7
4.1 Stability . 7
4.2 Secondary ignition . 7
4.3 Flame height . 8
4.4 Self-extinguishing . 8
4.5 Behaviour after extinguishing . 8
4.6 Container candles . 8
4.7 Multiple wick candles . 9
5 Test equipment and apparatus . 9
6 Sampling . 9
7 Sample preparation . 9
8 General test conditions . 10
9 Test methods . 10
9.1 General. 10
9.2 Stability test . 10
9.3 Burning test . 10
9.3.1 Test procedure . 10
9.3.2 Flame height . 11
9.3.3 Aftersmoke time . 11
9.4 Flammability test of containers . 11
9.4.1 General. 11
9.4.2 Flammability test with fixed impingement time . 12
9.4.3 Flammability test with impingement time until sustained flaming . 13
10 Test report . 13
Annex A (informative) Hourly fuel consumption . 14
Annex B (informative) Analysis of container candle surface temperatures . 15
Bibliography . 17

European foreword
This document (prEN 15493:2026) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 369 “Candle fire
safety”, the secretariat of which is held by DIN.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
This document will supersede EN 15493:2019.
— the terms and definitions have been improved and complemented;
— the requirements for the container flammability of container candles and for multiple wick candles
have been introduced;
— test methods for the container flammability of container candles have been introduced;
— the content of the test report has been described in more detail.
Introduction
Candles have accompanied mankind for more than 2 000 years serving above all as a light source. Closely
connected to the development history of the candle are the efforts made to improve its quality and its
safety in use. Discussions in the past and present over possible self-forming, harmful emissions and fires
caused by unsafe candles and/or inappropriate use during the burning of candles have led to consumer
concern for these issues.
This document helps to ensure a reasonable degree of safety during use, thereby improving personal
safety and reducing the risk of fires, deaths and injuries.
1 Scope
This document specifies requirements and test methods for the fire safety of candles intended to be
burned indoors.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 15494:2019, Candles - Product safety labels
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
3.1
aftersmoke time
time the wick continues to smoke visibly after extinguishing the flame
3.2
base material
intended fuel source for a candle flame
[SOURCE: EN 15426:2018, 3.1]
3.3
burning period
time the candle burns from being lit initially until it is extinguished
3.4
burn test cycle
total time of a burning period and pause
3.5
candle
one or more combustible wicks supported by a material that constitutes a fuel, which is solid or semisolid
at a temperature of (20 to 27) °C with the main function of sustaining a light-producing flame, including
any coatings on and articles or substances in the fuel
[SOURCE: EN 15426:2018, 3.2, modified: The term “room temperature” has been replaced by
“temperature” to avoid any misunderstanding]
3.6
container candle
candle that is produced and used in the same container
Note 1 to entry: This definition includes tea lights.
[SOURCE: EN 15426:2018, 3.3]
3.7
flame height
vertical distance between the base of the flame and the top of the flame
Note 1 to entry: The base of the flame is not always visible. In such cases, the point where the wick colour changes
from light to dark is considered the base of the flame for measuring the flame height. See Figure 1.

Key
h flame height
Figure 1 — Flame height
3.8
floating candle
candle intended and designed for use in a suitable bowl or container filled with water
3.9
freestanding candle
candle that is designed to be used without a supporting holder
[SOURCE: EN 15426:2018, 3.4]
3.10
indoor candle
candle intended and designed for use inside a house or a building with typical indoor conditions
concerning ventilation, draught and temperature
Note 1 to entry: An outdoor candle is a candle intended and designed to be used outside buildings in the open air.
[SOURCE: EN 15426:2018, 3.5]
3.11
multiple wick candle
candle containing more than one wick, with each wick having an individual flame
[SOURCE: ASTM F2417-24, 3.2.7, modified: only the term “multiple wick candle” is given]
3.12
molten fuel pool
portion of the fuel of a candle that is in the liquid form when the candle is burning
[SOURCE: EN 15426:2018, 3.7]
3.13
non-freestanding candle
candle that is designed to be used with a supporting holder
3.14
re-ignition
self-ignition of the wick after it has been extinguished
3.15
residual height
height of the candle, measured from the bottom of the candle to the surface of the molten fuel pool
[SOURCE: EN 15426:2018, 3.8]
3.16
secondary ignition
self-sustained flame other than that on the intended wick(s), including flash over where vapours of the
base material ignite over the molten fuel pool or the ignition of a container
3.17
self-sustained flame
flame that continues to burn until the fuel source is removed or depleted or is actively extinguished
3.18
tea light
cylindrical candle that is burned up in a container which may be suitable to keep vessels containing coffee,
tea or other liquids warm, by using a warming stove
Note 1 to entry: Diameters of tea lights typically range from 36 mm to 39 mm.
3.19
wick
object that delivers fuel to a flame through the process of capillary action
[SOURCE: EN 15426:2018, 3.14]
3.20
sustained flaming
existence of flame on or over the surface of the specimen for periods of 4 s or more
[SOURCE: ASTM F 2601-18, 3.3.9]
4 Safety requirements
4.1 Stability
Freestanding candles, container candles and candles that are sold together with a holder or other
accessories shall not tip over when tested on a slope of (10 ± 0,2)° according to 9.2.
4.2 Secondary ignition
No secondary ignition shall occur for more than 10 s, when the candle is tested according to 9.3.
4.3 Flame height
When tested according to 9.3.2, the flame height for all candle types, except tea lights, shall not exceed
75 mm. The flame height for tea lights shall not exceed 30 mm.
NOTE The natural tendency of a candle is for the flame height to vary during the burn life. The maximum
allowable flame height requirement in this document takes into account such variation and anticipates that
manufacturers will design candles to ensure that they remain below the maximum flame height requirement
throughout the burning.
4.4 Self-extinguishing
4.4.1 To prevent the ignition of the surface underneath, freestanding candles marketed as self-
extinguishing shall self-extinguish at the end of the burning time. When tested according to 9.3, the
candles shall neither burn a paper placed underneath nor cause any scorch marks on it during the whole
burning test .
4.4.2 To prevent the ignition or cracking of a supporting holder, non-freestanding candles marketed as
self-extinguishing shall self-extinguish at a residual height of ≥ 12 mm in case of candles with a diameter
of ≤ 14 mm and at a residual height of ≥ 18 mm in case of other candles when tested according to 9.3.
NOTE Holders for non-freestanding candles with a smaller diameter are typically lower than those for larger
diameters.
4.5 Behaviour after extinguishing
4.5.1 After extinguishing the candle shall not spontaneously re-light.
4.5.2 The wick shall not continue to smoke for an average time of more than 30 s after extinguishing
when tested according to 9.3.3.
4.6 Container candles
4.6.1 The container shall not crack or break at any time throughout the burning test when tested
according to 9.3.
NOTE 1 The risk of cracking or breaking glass containers can be reduced by several measures, e.g.
by using annealed glass containers, by forcing the flame to extinguish before the entire base material is
consumed or by fixing the wick sustainer to the centre of the candle so that the flame does not get too
close to the edge of the container when the entire base material is liquid.
NOTE 2 The risk of burns caused by touching a container candle during or after burning of the candle cannot be
completely avoided (see Annex B).
4.6.2 The container shall not burn for longer than 15 s on average and 30 s in any individual test when
tested according to 9.4.2, and a burning container shall not extinguish solely due to the depletion of
combustible material on the sidewalls of the container.
Cracking or breaking of the container during the flammability test according to 9.4.2 is not considered a
failure.
4.6.3 The container shall not burn for longer than 15 s on average and 30 s in any individual test when
tested according to 9.4.3, and a burning container shall not extinguish solely due to the depletion of
combustible material on the sidewalls of the container.
Cracking or breaking of the container during the flammability test according to 9.4.3 is not considered a
failure.
4.7 Multiple wick candles
For multiple wick candles, the wi
...