Yes, it's that time of year again. Second only in holiday-themed horror to safety footage of Halloween costumes bursting into flames comes the perils of dangerous merry-making, like menorah candles next to the curtains and a Christmas tree that never gets watered. more ›

...and another one bites the dust: Yankee Candles' Illuminations stores have announced they are shutting down all 28 of their retail locations as part of a large financial restructuring plan. The stores are located in 9 states, but half are here in California, including ones in Anaheim, Brea, Canoga Park, Costa Mesa, and at the Westside Pavillion. Illuminations joins the growing number of retailers with stores in the LA-area shutting down, such as Circuit City, Expo Design Center, and Mervyn's--not to mention the growing number of retailers implementing layoffs. So get your stinkin' candles now; Illuminations expects to be fully shuttered by the end of April. more ›

The LA Fire Department has announced what could be the cause of this morning's fire in Mar Vista that left one woman dead. It "appears to be 'accidental, most probably related to candles,' wrote LAFD spokesman Ron Myers in an alert. The fire at 3448 Colonial Ave. near the intersection of Centinela Ave. and Palms Blvd. began around 5:30 a.m. and took 25 firefighters to knock it down in 20 minutes. more ›