Be Halloween Safe: Keep the Holiday Spooky and Fire-Free

Halloween is a fun, spooky and exciting time for kids and adults as they scour for that perfect costume and people add spooky decorations to their homes. If you don’t keep fire safety in mind, Halloween and fall decoration can add an increased fire danger to your home that could create a real scary situation. 

According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), each year from 2017 to 2019, an estimated average of 9,200 fires were reported to fire departments in the United States over a 3-day period around Halloween. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports from 2018–2022 there was an average of 835 home structure fires that began with decorations per year. These fires caused an annual average of 3 civilian fire deaths, 30 civilian fire injuries, and $14 million in direct property damage. Nearly half (47%) of these fires occurred because the decorations were too close to a heat source, such as a candle or hot equipment and approximately one-third (32%) of these fires were started by candles.

“Halloween is an exciting time for kids as they head our looking for all the tasty goodies, but before hitting the neighborhood, make sure you talk to your little ghosts about fire safety,” said Illinois State Fire Marshal James A. Rivera. “Explain and guide your trick-or-treaters around any open flames or heating sources that could cause issues with their costumes. Also, make sure you have a costume that doesn’t have long trailing fabric to reduce trip hazards and masks that have good visibility! Finally, make sure your little ghouls have reflective materials on their costumes or are carry a flashlight so motorists can see them.”

Taking a few simple steps will help to create a spooky season that doesn’t turn into a scary situation.

• Use a battery-operated candle or glow stick in jack-o-lanterns.
• When choosing costumes, avoid long trailing fabric.
• If your children are wearing a costume mask, make sure the eye holes are large enough so the child can see out.
• Teach children to stay away from open flames, including jack-o-lanterns with candles in them.
• Be sure children know how to stop, drop, and roll if their clothing catches fire.
• Dried flowers, cornstalks, and crepe paper catch fire easily. Keep all decorations away from open flames and other heat sources like light bulbs and heaters.
• Provide children with flashlights to carry for lighting or glow sticks as part of their costume.
• Remember to keep exits clear of decorations so nothing blocks escape routes.
• Make sure all smoke alarms are working.
• Motorists should slow down and use extreme caution while driving during trick-or-treat hours.