How can one be fire safe while dealing with incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs? — TJ, Woodbridge, VA
Fluorescent tubes produce relatively little heat, so they’re relatively fire safe already. However, incandescent light bulbs become very hot and you have to be careful with them to avoid fires. First, make sure that the bulb can get rid of its waste heat. That means that you shouldn’t wrap the bulb in insulation because it needs to transfer its waste heat to the air. Second, keep flammable materials away from the bulb, particularly above the bulb since hot air from the bulb rises upward.