Halloween

halloween basket

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 those 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 the 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 stranger’s 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 of 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.

Infographics & Coloring Pages

  1. Enjoy Halloween Safely
  2. Halloween Coloring Sheet
  3. Winter Holiday Fires
  4. Hidden Holiday
  5. Holiday Coloring Train
  6. Skating Sparky
  7. Winter Holiday Fire Safety
  8. Candle Safety Tips