Apotheke candles and candle holders

4 reports to CPSC, the latest made Sep 6, 2025. A report isn’t a recall.

Watch it to hear when CPSC publishes new reports about it. CPSC’s own search

Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. CPSC’s own search is on saferproducts.gov.

At a glance

From SaferProducts.gov, released Oct 25, 2026.

4reports to CPSC
Sep 6, 2025the latest report was made
Aug 20, 2022the earliest
1with the company’s comments

Brand: Apotheke
Maker: APOTHEKEMakers, importers or sellers, as the reports name them
Product: Candles and candle holdersCPSC’s product type: Candles, Candlesticks and Other Candle Holders (code 463), in Furniture, Furnishings & Decorations: Candles

Other ways the reports write the brand (1)

“Apotheke purchased from Crate and Barrel”

By month

3 reports from October 2024 to September 2025; the most in September 2025, 1. 1 earlier report, since August 2022, is in the table.

The numbers, as a table

Reports to CPSC by the month each was made, newest first
Month	Reports
September 2025	1
December 2024	1
October 2024	1
August 2022	1

How badly anyone was hurt

No one hurt 4 CPSC: Incident, No Injury

As each report says it, in short words; CPSC’s own words are under each.

The reports, as CPSC published them

Reports people made to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPSC publishes each one after sending it to the company named, and doesn’t guarantee they’re accurate. A report isn’t a recall.

Each report is the words of the person who made it, as CPSC published them. The company’s comments, where CPSC published any, are set apart as the company’s own.

CPSC, SaferProducts.gov public database export. Released Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily.

No one hurt
Made Sep 6, 2025, sent to the company Sep 10, 2025, published by CPSC Sep 24, 2025

The product, in the report: Apotheke Charcoal Votive Candle

On September 1, 2025, I was burning an Apotheke charcoal Votive candle. The candle was lit indoors on a flat, stable, non-flammable kitchen counter surface, away from other objects or debris, and was being used exactly as intended for normal household fragrance and ambiance. The entire top surface of the candle ignitednot just the wick. The container split apart during the fire. When I moved it to the sink and poured water on it, a fireball erupted before the flames finally went out. Wax spread across my sink and into the garbage disposal, possibly causing damage.
This incident could have easily resulted in a house fire or injuries if I had not been present. I have photos of the aftermath and the remains of the candle.
I have also experienced abnormal performance with another Apotheke charcoal, petite candle (flame extinguishing after short burns), which I understand may relate to fragrance oil load or wick design. I am concerned this represents a wider safety issue with the brand.

Model
Charcoal Votive Candle
Bought from
Allurebeauty.com
Where
Morristown, Tennessee: Home/Apartment/Condominium
Who was involved
Age 46, Unspecified
The reporter’s relation to them
Self
As this report names them
Brand Apotheke, made or sold by APOTHEKE
How badly, in CPSC’s words
Incident, No Injury

CPSC report 20250906-2E24F-2147328032. Submitter: Consumer Search for it on SaferProducts.gov
No one hurt
Made Dec 31, 2024, sent to the company Jan 8, 2025, published by CPSC Jan 24, 2025

The product, in the report: Apotheke 26oz Pumpkin Ginger Candle

My wife had an Apotheke candle going in the other room. She heard our smoke alarms go off & went out to find the entire candle engulfed in 8-10” flames.

Model
Pumpkin Ginger Candle
Bought from
Crate & Barrel
Bought
Nov 29, 2024
Where
Weaverville, North Carolina: Home/Apartment/Condominium
Who was involved
Age 33, Unspecified
The reporter’s relation to them
My Spouse
As this report names them
Brand Apotheke, made or sold by APOTHEKE
How badly, in CPSC’s words
Incident, No Injury

CPSC report 20241231-5EA06-2147334239. Submitter: Consumer Search for it on SaferProducts.gov
No one hurt
Made Oct 28, 2024, sent to the company Nov 1, 2024, published by CPSC Nov 25, 2024

The product, in the report: 3 wick Apotheke pumpkin ginger candle purchased from Crate & Barrell (Ross Park Mall - Pittsburgh PA)

An apotheke 3 wick pumpkin ginger scented candle (bearing number 240603 on the bottom) manufactured by Apotheke Brooklyn NY 11231, caught fire after approx 1.5 hrs of burning. The candle was in the kitchen in the center of a kitchen quartz peninsula.

Model
240603 on bottom of candle
Serial number
240603
Bought from
Crate & Barrell Ross Park Mall Pittsburgh PA
Bought
Oct 5, 2024, about then
Where
Allison Park, Pennsylvania: Home/Apartment/Condominium
Who was involved
Age 55, Unspecified
The reporter’s relation to them
Self
As this report names them
Brand Apotheke purchased from Crate and Barrel, made or sold by APOTHEKE
How badly, in CPSC’s words
Incident, No Injury

The company’s comments, in its own words

(11/21/2024) APOTHEKE: The complainant contacted us by e-mail on 10/28/2024 to inform us about this incident. We replied the same day and requested additional details and photos, which were not included with the e-mail. We did not receive a reply. We followed up again by e-mail on 10/29/2024 and again on 10/30/2024, but we did not receive any reply to our additional e-mails. The next communication we received about this incident was by U.S. Mail on 11/8/2024 when we received a copy of this Report from the CPSC.
After reading the complainant’s Report and reviewing the photos they submitted, it is our opinion that the candle flashover occurred because either an accelerant was introduced to the candle post-purchase and/or the candle was burned for far longer than the recommended maximum of 3 to 4 hours.
Nobody but the complainant and their spouse can attest to who or what interacted with this candle after they purchased it and it left the care of the store, and before the reported incident occurred, and/or exactly how long the candle was burning on the day this incident occurred.
The complainant states in their Report that they purchased this candle on 10/5/2024 (estimated) and that the flashover incident occurred on 10/26/2024. That leaves 20 days of consumption, give or take, from the time they purchased the candle to the date of the reported incident.
Our 3-Wick Candles burn for up to 140 hours. It is clear to us by looking at the complainant’s photos submitted with this Report that this candle was about three-quarters consumed when the flashover incident occurred. That means this candle was burned for an approximate total of 105 hours between 10/5 and 10/26/2024. Divided by 20 days, one must conclude that the complainant either burned this candle for 5¼ hours every day for each of those 20 days (more than our suggested maximum of 3 to 4 hours), or they burned the candle for much longer than either figure over fewer days during the same time period.
The detailed usage, caution, and warning information that appears on all our scented candle packaging – including that of the complainant’s candle – and is designed to prevent incidents like this from occurring is as follows:
CANDLE BOX
“DIRECTIONS: Remove candle from box before burning. Burn on a flat, stable, protected, heat-resistant surface. When lighting for the first time, burn until the pool of melted wax reaches the edge of the glass. To prevent overheating and to preserve the fragrance, do not burn for more than 3-4 hours. Avoid burning in drafty areas. Center and trim wick(s) to ¼” before each subsequent lighting. Keep wick trimmings and debris out of wax. Allow wax to cool before relighting. Discontinue burning when ½” of wax remains or glass may shatter.
WARNING: Candles should always be placed away from flammable material. Keep out of the reach of children and pets. Never leave a burning candle unattended. FAILURE TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS MAY RESULT IN FIRE OR INJURY.”
STICKER ON BOTTOM OF CANDLE CONTAINER
“CAUTION: Burn within sight. Candles should always be placed away from flammable material. Keep out of the reach of children and pets. Never leave a burning candle unattended. Remove candle from box before burning. Burn on a flat, stable, protected, heat-resistant surface. When lighting for the first time, burn until the pool of melted wax reaches the edge of the glass. To prevent overheating and to preserve the fragrance, do not burn for more than 3-4 hours. Avoid burning in drafty areas. Center and trim wick(s) to ¼” before each subsequent lighting. Keep wick trimmings and debris out of wax. Allow wax to cool before relighting. Discontinue burning when ½” of wax remains or glass may shatter.”
We manufactured 648 units of this candle under the batch (lot) code 240603 (Pumpkin Ginger 3-Wick Scented Candle). To date, this has been the only reported incident involving a candle from that batch.
We spend weeks and, in some cases, months formulating and testing the correct wax-fragrance-wick-glass combination before a candle is approved for production. Every candle needs to pass ASTM Safety Burn Standards before it moves to the manufacturing stage. Additionally, after a batch is produced, a proportional number of candles are pulled at random from that batch, all of which are tested again using the ASTM Safety Burn Standards before the batch is approved for release and shipped to retail.
For this specific fragrance and candle, we worked with a third-party firm and the industry’s premier expert and manufacturer of scented candles to perfect, finalize, and test this candle before we manufactured it. In their comprehensive testing report summary, they wrote the following:
“We have completed two burn tests for AP03-PG, the Pumpkin Ginger 3wick candle: an industry standard (ASTM F2417) and a consumer misuse test. For the F2417 test, we burn the candles in 4-hour burn cycles and trim the wicks to ¼” between burn cycles. For the consumer misuse test, we burn the candles for 8 hours and don’t trim the wick between burn cycles.
Additionally, we collected melt pool temperatures from all of the candles. The max melt pool temperature for the ASTM test was 193°F, and the 8-Hour test was 185°F. We completed ASTM D92 flash point testing on the candle system wax matrix, which resulted in a 340°F flash point. The delta between the max melt pool temperatures and the flash point was 147°F and 155°F (our delta-t criteria is = 120). The max flame height recorded for each of the tests was 1.50” to 1.75” (both well below the ASTM F2417 limit of = 3”).
All the data we have available for burn testing shows that this candle system has passed industry standards.”
Unfortunately, many consumers have the misconception that after they purchase a scented candle, light it, and start burning it, anything that happens after that is now entirely the manufacturer’s responsibility. A burning candle is a contained fire. It should be treated with the same care and respect as anything else that involves a burning flame.
When a flue fire occurs in one’s chimney because they have neglected to properly clean and maintain it, should they blame their home’s contractor and file a Report with the CPSC every time that happens? No.
We have manufactured and shipped tens of thousands of candles in many different shapes and sizes every year for the past 13 years. During the 2023 calendar year, that total was nearly 200,000. The number of incidents reported to us like the one detailed in this Report over that same time period was less than ten. Each one was due to the carelessness of the user, each of whom ignored our usage and safety instructions.

CPSC report 20241028-3AC60-2147335693. Submitter: Consumer Search for it on SaferProducts.gov
No one hurt
Made Aug 20, 2022, sent to the company Aug 24, 2022, published by CPSC Sep 8, 2022

The product, in the report: Apotheke signature 3 piece votive set Three 2.5 oz/70g votives total net wt 7.5oz/210g The actual candle was Earl Grey Bitters net wt 2.5oz/70g scented candle purchased from Nordstroms

We lit a candle last week by Apotheke and after it being lit for a while, the whole candle was found to be a ball of flames.

Model
Earl Gray Bitters
UPC
8 50028 16339 9
Bought from
Nordstroms
Bought
Jul 31, 2022, about then
Where
NEW YORK, New York: Home/Apartment/Condominium
Who was involved
Age 50, Female
The reporter’s relation to them
Self
As this report names them
Brand Apotheke, made or sold by APOTHEKE
How badly, in CPSC’s words
Incident, No Injury

CPSC report 20220820-F0870-2147354293. Submitter: Consumer Search for it on SaferProducts.gov

CPSC’s disclaimer

Disclaimer: CPSC does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of the Publicly Available Consumer Product Safety Information Database on SaferProducts.gov, particularly with respect to information submitted by people outside of CPSC.

Word for word, from the disclaimer in CPSC’s export.

Sources

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, SaferProducts.gov public database export.

Released Oct 25, 2026 and checked Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work). CPSC asks to be credited, and that no endorsement be implied.

Reports of harm are from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), on SaferProducts.gov. CPSC does not endorse Hearth Record.

Apotheke candles and candle holders

At a glance

By month

How badly anyone was hurt

The reports, as CPSC published them

CPSC’s disclaimer

Sources

How to read a record

Every fact names its source.

A number never stands alone.

What needs attention is marked.

The public record comes first.