EXCLUSIVE

First Heather Graham ... then Skrillex ... now Sharon Osbourne has fallen victim to the terrifying fire power of CANDLES -- after falling asleep last night before extinguishing a candle in her home.

Law enforcement sources tell us, the BHFD responded to the Osbourne home around 4:45 AM today in response to a fire -- but thankfully, they arrived before the blaze had done significant damage.

We're told the firefighters dealt with the situation -- and shared some important fire safety tips with Sharon before hitting the road ... namely, don't fall asleep with lit candles in your house.

Now Sharon has some advice for candle enthusiasts everywhere -- telling TMZ, "Please everybody always check all the candles lit in the house before going to bed. I didn't, and at 5am this morning I was met with 5 gorgeous men from the BH Fire Department as they put out the fire in my house."