UNDATED, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Halloween is here and officials are making sure parents, trick-or-treaters, and drivers alike all have a safe and enjoyable night.
— HALLOWEEN TIPS —
The Battle Creek Police Department and other officials are offering Halloween safety tips for families to share with their children:
- Kids should never trick or treat alone, and parents should accompany young kids to the door of every house they approach.
- Children should not enter any home without permission from a parent.
- Children should not approach any vehicle, occupied or not, unless they know the owner and are accompanied by a parent.
- Kids should carry a glow stick while trick or treating or wear reflective clothing.
- When using masks, make sure kids can see and breathe easily.
- All costumes and masks should be marked as flame resistant.
A full list of tips is available to view here.
— FIRE SAFETY —
The National Fire Protection Association is providing the following tips to parents and children to stay safe this season:
- Costumes: Avoid fabric that billows or trails behind you, as these can easily ignite. If you are making your own costume, avoid loosely woven fabrics like linen and cotton, which can be very flammable.
- Decorations: Many common decorations like cornstalks, crepe paper, and dried flowers are very flammable. Keep these and similar decorations far away from any open flames or heat sources, like candles, heaters, and light bulbs.
- Jack-o-lanterns: Glow sticks or electric candles are the safest choice when it comes to lighting up your jack-o-lantern, but if you choose to use a real candle, do so with extreme caution. Light a candle inside a jack-o-lantern using long fireplace matches or a utility lighter, and keep it away from other decorations.
More tips can be found here.
— TRICK OR TREAT TIMES —
The streets are going to be filling with ghosts and goblins, but parents should first check trick-or-treat city times in their area.
Many West Michigan cities allow trick-or-treating between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Halloween night; however, Kalamazoo does not have a recommended start and end time.
A whole list of West Michigan trick-or-treat times can be found here.
— BUNDLE UP —
Halloween may feel more like the Nightmare before Christmas with a slight chance of snow showers.
It will be a windy and cold night for those out collecting candy. Forecasters say temperatures will be at or a little above freezing with wind gusts up to 40 mph possible in some areas.
A wind advisory is in effect for Thursday afternoon. There will be rain too, which will make it hard for drivers to see trick or treaters.
Children will want to bundle up those costumes. Sunset is at 6:36 p.m. and a full transition to snow is possible when the sun is completely down by 7:05 p.m.
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Happy Halloween!
