UNDATED, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — With Halloween coming up soon, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is offering safety tips to parents for children.
“Halloween brings an opportunity to wear fun costumes, decorate our homes, and eat too much candy,” NFPA’s vice president of Outreach and Advocacy Lorraine Carli said in a press release. “However, without proper safety precautions, we run the risk of turning good times into the wrong kind of scary ones.”
Data from NFPA research indicates that between 2012 and 2016, decorations were the item first ignited in an estimated average of 800 reported home structure fires per year, resulting in an average of two civilian deaths, 34 civilian injuries and $11 million in direct property damage. Citizens are advised to keep decorations away from sources of heat.
The NFPA 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.
- Candles: Using candles as decoration can be risky if not done correctly. Keep them in a well- attended area out of the path of potential trick-or-treaters. Remind children of the dangers of open flames, and make sure they are supervised at all times when candles are lit. Extinguish candles before leaving an area.
- 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.
- Visibility: Give children flashlights or glowsticks for lighting, these can even be incorporated into the costume. If your child has a mask, ensure the eye holes are large enough for them to see clearly.
- Smoke Alarms: This is a great time to make sure your smoke alarms are functional and up-to-date.
- Exits: Exits are NOT an appropriate place for decorations. When decorating, ensure that nothing is blocking any escape routes.
More tips are available online at www.nfpa.org/safetytips. The Halloween tips come as the NFPA reminds citizens that this week marks National Fire Prevention Week.
