Halloween
Children dressed in costumes. Treat-or-treaters going door to door. Glowing jack-o-lanterns. Spooky festivities are a joy! Remember these tips to ensure a fun-filled Halloween.
Decorations
- Use a battery-operated candle in jack-o-lanterns. If you use a real candle, use caution. Tell children to stay away from open flames.
- Keep all decorations away from open flames and other heat sources like light bulbs and heaters.
- Keep exits clear of decorations, so nothing blocks escape routes.
- Make sure all smoke alarms in the home are working.
Costume Safety
- When shopping for costumes & accessories, purchase flame resistant items.
- Choose costumes that are bright and reflective. Make sure shoes fit well and that costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement, or contact with flame.
- Consider adding reflective tape to trick-or-treat bags for greater visibility.
- Make sure eye holes are large enough to see out of. Hats should fit properly to prevent sliding over eyes.
- Remove any makeup before children go to bed to prevent skin and eye irritation.
Out & About
- Bring flashlights or glow sticks to light your path!
- Have an adult accompany young children while they trick-or-treat.
- Teach your children never to enter a strangers home.
- Instruct your children to travel only in familiar, well-lit areas and stick with their friends.
- Wait until children are home to sort, check, and eat treats.
Motorists
Children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year. Lack of visibility is a top factor in these incidents.
- Watch for children walking on roadways.
- Enter and exit streets, driveways, and alleys carefully.
- Watch for children in dark clothing.
Holiday Fire Safety
Nearly half of holiday decoration fires happen because decorations are placed too close to a heat source.
It’s fun to decorate for the winter holidays, but holiday decorations can increase your risk for a home fire. As you deck the halls this season, be fire smart.
- Inspect holiday lights each year before you put them up. Throw away light strands with frayed or pinched wires.
- Consider using battery-operated flameless candles, which can look, smell and feel like real candles.
- If you do use lit candles, make sure they are in stable holders and place them where they cannot be knocked down easily.
- Water your Christmas tree every day. A dry tree is dangerous because it can catch on fire easily.
Did You Know?
- Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day, the day before Thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve.
- More than 1/3 of home decoration fires are started by candles.
- December is the peak month for home candle fires.
- More than 1 in every 5 Christmas tree fires were caused by a heat source too close to the tree.
- Ten percent of firework fires occur during the period of December 30 through January 3, with the peak on New Year's Day.
(Source: NFPA)