Full Notification

While Halloween is often a time for creative spooky celebrations and fun activities for children and adults, it can also be a time for scary fire hazards.

According to the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®), between 2018 and 2022, an annual average of 835 home fires began with decorations, resulting in three deaths, 30 injuries, and $14 million in direct property damage. Nearly half (47 percent) of these fires occurred because the decorations were too close to a heat source, with approximately one-third (32 percent) involving candles.

Make trick-or-treating safe for your little (and big) monsters with a few simple safety tips:

• Use glow sticks or battery-operated candles for jack-o’-lanterns and other Halloween decorations.
• When choosing costumes, stay away from long trailing fabric.
• Provide children with flashlights or glow sticks to carry for lighting as part of their costume.
• Teach children to stay away from open flames, including jack-o’-lanterns with candles in them.
• Keep Halloween decorations away from open flames and other heat sources, such as light bulbs and heaters.
• Remember to keep exits clear of decorations so nothing blocks escape routes.
• Make sure all smoke alarms are working.
• If you or your children are going to Halloween parties at others’ homes, have them look for ways out of the home and plan how they would get out in an emergency.