Halloween safety tips and how to avoid house fires

Before donning a costume, and as Halloween approaches, remember that many of the holiday’s festivities and festivities pose fire safety hazards.

According to the National Fire Protection Association Between 2018 and 2022, an annual average of 835 house fires started with decorations, resulting in three deaths, 30 injuries and $14 million in direct property damage. Almost half (47 percent) of these fires started because the decorations were too close to a heat source; About a third (32 percent) started with candles.

Given these and the associated safety risks, NFPA encourages everyone to take simple precautions that can help ensure a fire-safe vacation.

“Decorating with jack-o-lanterns and other seasonal items, costume parties and trick-or-treating pose potential fire hazards,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy at NFPA. “But that’s no reason to let Halloween scare people away. With a little more awareness and caution, the vast majority of these risks can be prevented.”

NFPA offers these tips and guidelines for a festive Halloween:

• Decorations: Many common decorations, such as corn stalks, crepe paper, and dried flowers, are highly flammable. Keep these and similar decorations away from open flames or heat sources such as candles, radiators and light bulbs.
• Candles: Using candles as decorations can be risky if not done properly. Keep them in a well-trafficked area, away from potential trick-or-treaters. Remind children of the dangers of open flames and ensure they are always supervised when lighting candles. Always extinguish candles before leaving an area.
• Pumpkin lanterns: Glow sticks or electric candles are the safest choice when it comes to lighting your jack-o-lantern. However, if you decide to use a real candle, do so with extreme caution. Light a candle in a jack-o-lantern using long chimney matches or a lighter and keep it away from other decorations.
• Costumes: Avoid fabrics that bunch or trail behind you, as these can easily ignite. If you’re making your own costume, avoid loosely woven fabrics like linen and cotton, which can be very flammable.
• Visibility: Give children flashlights or glow sticks for lighting, these can even be integrated into the costume. If your child wears a mask, make sure the eye holes are large enough so they can see clearly.
• Smoke detector: This is a good time to make sure your Smoke detector are functional.
• Outputs: Exits are NOT an appropriate place for decorations. When decorating, make sure that nothing blocks escape routes, including doors and windows.

Visit the NFPA Halloween For more safety tips and resources, visit the safety page. Get NFPAs Halloween fire safety package for spooky fun activities for children and families. Visit sparky.org for kid-friendly fun.