Ahead of Valentine’s Day, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reminds the romantics and everyone else to keep fire safety in mind when cooking on the stove or in the oven and when using candles. The association has released several resources for a safer home in light of the romantic holiday.

While cooking is the leading cause of U.S. home fires with nearly half (49 percent) of all home fires involving cooking equipment, candles also pose a fire risk. NFPA reports that half of all candle fires start when a flammable object, including furniture, bedding, curtains, home decorations, or clothing are too close to a lit candle.

To have a safer household, NFPA has released the following safety tips:

• Avoid using candles in the bedroom and other areas where people may fall asleep.
• Place candles on sturdy, uncluttered surfaces where they will not be knocked over.
• Use caution when lighting candles: Keep hair and any loose clothing away from the flame.
• Do not allow candles to burn down too close to the base of the holder or container.
• Never leave a child alone in the presence of a burning candle.
• Keep matches and lighters out of children’s reach.

“Keeping a close eye on what’s cooking can be a challenge, particularly on special occasions like Valentine’s Day when you’re trying to get everything just right,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of NFPA’s outreach and advocacy. “But when you consider that unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires, it’s clear that carefully monitoring what’s on the stove and in the oven is critical to ensuring a fire-safe evening.”