Sheffield mum rushed babies to hospital after Yankee candle filled home with ‘black smoke and soot’

Laura Quick was advised to take her nine-month-old twins for an urgent check up after spotting sinister 'black marks' on one of the baby's romper suits.

The 35-year-old claims she also found 'black lines of soot' in other areas of her Penistone home after burning the large Home Inspirations Yankee pomegranate-coconut candle, which she bought from a supermarket.

She said: "The candle had been burning as normal for around three to four hours, the minimal recommended burning time.

“My partner blew out the candle and we went to bed, thinking nothing of it.

“But the next morning the ground floor of the house was flooded with black smoke. The glass jar the candle comes in was also entirely black.

“The smoke quickly cleared when we opened the windows but then I began to notice soot here and there, which was a bit alarming.

“There was a layer of soot in the bath and also under the landing door as if the soot was edging its way upstairs.

“Then while my daughter was crawling around I spotted more soot on her pink babygrow.

“When I told my friend, who works as a firefighter, she said I needed to get the twins checked out straight away."

Tests at Sheffield Children's Hospital revealed that while the twins had developed a cough and were a little low on oxygen, which later returned to normal, their carbon monoxide levels were normal.

But Laura is still urging others to be vigilant.

“We've been doing the house up and haven't got a carbon monoxide alarm installed yet," she added. "It's made me realise how important they are."

Laura Quick was advised to take her nine-month-old twins for an urgent check up after spotting sinister 'black marks' on one of the baby's romper suits.

The 35-year-old claims she also found 'black lines of soot' in other areas of her Pennistone home after burning the Home Inspirations pomegranate-coconut candle, which she bought from a supermarket.

She said: "The candle had been burning as normal for around three to four hours, the minimal recommended burning time.

“My partner blew out the candle and we went to bed, thinking nothing of it.

“But the next morning the ground floor of the house was flooded with black smoke. The glass jar the candle comes in was also entirely black.

“The smoke quickly cleared when we opened the windows but then I began to notice soot here and there, which was a bit alarming.

“There was a layer of soot in the bath and also under the landing door as if the soot was edging its way upstairs.

“Then while my daughter was crawling around I spotted more soot on her pink babygrow.

“When I told my friend, who works as a firefighter, she said I needed to get the twins checked out straight away."

Tests at Sheffield Children's Hospital revealed that while the twins had developed a cough and were a little low on oxygen, which later returned to normal, their carbon monoxide levels were normal.

A spokesperson for Yankee Candle said: “For 50 years Yankee Candle has built a reputation on providing consumers with safe and high-quality products.

“Numerous independent and authenticated studies have confirmed that candles are safe to use when burned following manufacturer instructions.

“Safety guidelines are available on our website for anyone with questions. https://www.yankeecandle.co.uk/pages-uk-en/customer-service/safety-and-burning.”

Laura is still urging others to be vigilant.

“We've been doing the house up and haven't got a carbon monoxide alarm installed yet," she added. "It's made me realise how important they are."