Halloween is a peak time of the year for spooky celebrations and activities, but it also presents some truly scary fire safety hazards. As the holiday nears, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is encouraging everyone to take simple precautions that can help ensure the holiday remains festively fun.
“It is exciting to be able to trick or treat, wear costumes and celebrate Halloween, particularly after last year, when most events and activities were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s Vice President of Outreach and Advocacy.
Ensuring fire safety during Halloween
Lorraine Carli adds, “As more people plan to celebrate the holiday this year, we want everyone to know where potential fire risks exist, so they can take the steps needed to minimize them.”
According to NFPA Applied Research, an annual average of 770 home structure fires began with decorations between 2014 and 2018, resulting in an annual average of two civilian fire deaths, 30 civilian fire injuries, and US$ 11 million in direct property damage. More than two of every five (44 percent) of these fires occurred, because the decorations were too close to a heat source, such as a candle or hot equipment.
NFPA offers the following tips and guidelines for enjoying a fire-safe Halloween:
- Decorations: Many common decorations like cornstalks, crepe paper, and dried flowers are very flammable. Keep these and similar decorations far away from any open flames or heat sources, like candles, heaters, and light bulbs.
- Candles: Using candles as decoration can be risky, if not done correctly. Keep them in a well-attended area, out of the path of potential trick-or-treaters. Remind children of the dangers of open flames and make sure they are always supervised, when candles are lit. Extinguish candles before leaving an area.
- Jack-o-lanterns: Glow sticks or electric candles are the safest choices when it comes to lighting up the jack-o-lantern. However, while lighting a real candle, do so with extreme caution. Light a candle inside a jack-o-lantern, using long fireplace matches or a utility lighter, and keep it away from other decorations.
- Costumes: Avoid fabric that billows or trails behind the wearer, as these can easily ignite. When making the Halloween costume, avoid loosely woven fabrics, such as linen and cotton, which can be very flammable.
- Visibility: Give children flashlights or glow sticks for lighting, as these can even be incorporated into the costume. If the child has a mask, ensure the eye holes are large enough for them to see clearly.
- Smoke Alarms: This is a great time to make sure that the smoke alarms are functional and up to date.
- Exits: Exits are not an appropriate place for decorations. When decorating, ensure that nothing is blocking any escape routes.
Lorraine Carli adds, “With a little added awareness and planning, people can enjoy a fun-filled Halloween and keep everyone fire-safe in the process.”
Revelers can visit the NFPA Halloween safety page for more resources on how to stay safe. Frightfully fun activities for kids can be found on NFPA’s Sparky the Fire Dog homepage, on the official NFPA website.