1. Always have a fire extinguisher within reach. Review the instructions on the fire extinguisher to familiarize yourself with proper operation. Hopefully you will never need to use it, but if you do need it, you will not have time to read the instructions. For small wax fires, you may use something such as a pot lid to smother the fire. Never use water to extinguish a wax fire. Liquid wax behaves much the same way as oil, and therefore needs to be treated like an oil fire.
2. NEVER LEAVE MELTING WAX UNATTENDED. It may seem to take a long time to get the wax to go from solid to liquid. But once it has liquefied, the temperature will rise sharply. Make it a habbit to constantly monitor the temperature of your wax. If that wax reaches the Flash Point, then the vapors produced are extremely flammable. The flash point of wax is typically above 300° F. Never let your wax exceed 250 degree F.
3. Always use a double boiler (described below). A double boiler helps distribute heat and prevents dangerous temperatures. Never melt wax directly on your stove.
4. Use an electric heat source if possible. If, by accident, your wax reaches the flash point, it is less likely for the vapors to find a flame and become ignited on an electric heat source. Any open flame, such as that found on a gas stove, will ignite wax vapors.
5. Always use a thermometer to monitor your wax temperatures. If you don't have a thermometer, put it on your list of things to get before you start making candles.