State Fire Marshal's Office Shares Halloween Safety Tips
Thursday, October 31, 2013 | 06:31am
NASHVILLE, TN – It’s that time of the year when ghosts and ghouls take to the street for Halloween celebrations. Before heading out to trick-or-treat or your neighborhood monster mash bash, make sure you talk to your friends and loved ones about staying fire safe throughout the festivities.
Make sure your fall holiday celebrations are safe by following these Halloween safety tips!
- When choosing a costume, stay away from billowing or long, trailing fabric. If you are making your own costume, choose material that won't easily ignite if it comes into contact with heat or flame. If your children wear masks, make sure eye holes are large enough to allow unobstructed views.
- Dried flowers, cornstalks and crepe paper are highly flammable. Keep these and other decorations well away from all open flames and heat sources, including light bulbs and heaters.
- It is safest to use a flashlight or battery-operated candles in a jack-o-lantern. If you use a flame candle, use extreme caution and keep them well attended at all times. When lighting candles inside jack-o-lanterns, use long fireplace matches or a long-nozzled candle lighter. Be sure to place lit pumpkins well away from anything that can burn and far enough out of the way of trick-or-treaters and such high-traffic areas as doorsteps, walkways and yards.
- Remember to keep exits clear of decorations, so nothing blocks escape routes.
- Tell children to stay away from open flames. Be sure they know how to stop, drop and roll if their clothing catches fire. (Have them practice stopping immediately, dropping to the ground, covering their faces with their hands, and rolling over and over.)
- Use flashlights or other battery-operated lights as alternatives to candles or torch lights when decorating walkways and yards. They are much safer for trick-or-treaters, whose costumes may brush against the lighting.
- When attending a Halloween party, look for ways out of the home/venue and plan how you would get out in an emergency.
- If you have a Halloween party, check for cigarettes under furniture cushions and in areas where people might have smoked, before you go to bed.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office is a division of The Department of Commerce and Insurance works to protect consumers while ensuring fair competition for industries and professionals who do business in Tennessee. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for daily fire prevention tips!
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