An unattended candle is to blame for a fire that scorched an apartment in Wahiawa last night. A teenager was home at the time and was injured in the blaze.

HFD says an adult man and woman also live in the apartment and have been displaced by the fire.

An unattended candle is to blame for a fire that scorched the apartment on Ohai Place.

The fire started at 10pm Thursday when many of the people in the apartment complex were already asleep.

A woman who lives in the unit next to the fire tells me if it wasn’t for the quick reaction of neighbors, things could have ended differently.

Ada Tosiuo lives in the unit right below the apartment that caught on fire.

“I was at the back. I was smoking a cigarette. I saw the guy from upstairs was panicking yell for help and I seen what happened he was saying their house is on fire,” said Tosiuo.

Tosiuo then broke the glass of the fire hose attached to the wall next to his apartment, grabbed the hose and started shooting water at the neighbors door upstairs.

“There was just smoke all over…it was just a lot of smoke coming out…There was a young boy. He was at home. That was the guy that jumped out from the other side and was yelling for help,” explained Tosiuo.

One of the neighbors said a man and woman from the apartment next door were also fighting the fire with a water hose, yelling, warning everyone to get out.

She said it was terrifying, but that she is grateful for the bravery of those who helped them make it out safely.

The fire department said an unattended candle is to blame for the blaze.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, December is the peak time of year for home candle fires.

Honolulu Fire Department, Captain Scot Seguirant, said that many people don’t realize that an unattended candle is a candle that is not being supervised or watched.

“People don’t consider keeping an eye on the candle, but it is an open flame in your home and if it’s not in the right area or if it’s knocked over, it has caused a significant amount of fires,” explained Seguirant.

Seguirant said that if you do burn a candle, you should always blow it out before you leave the room or go to sleep, and make sure that it is at least one foot away, in every direction, from anything combustible or flamable.

“In the case of an emergency or if you lose power or whatever the reasons are, we recommend using a battery flashlight or some type of battery lighting.”

Flameless candles are a much safer alternative.

The teenager was treated for smoke inhalation.