Be Vigilant of Open Flames During Halloween

CROTON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – If you love tradition, and still use a candle to light your Jack O’Lantern, Croton Fire Department warns not to leave that Jack O’Lantern unattended. Open flames, no matter how tiny, should be monitored.

“The safest way is with electric candles, a battery operated candle. Those are readily available in different sizes,” says former fire chief, now deputy fire chief, Thomas “Tex” Dinkler. “The other way to do it, if someone wants to use a real candle, it would probably be a good idea to use a small votive candle, or have it inside of a little glass enclosure.”

The National Fire Protection Association has a number of other suggestions, including keeping corn stalks, and dried flowers and crepe paper decorations away from flames, candles, or any other heat source because they are “highly flammable.” Of 1,000 yearly home fires, the NFPA reports that decorations are the first thing to ignite.

Other suggestions for Halloween safety from the NFPA include:

-Choose costumes that are not long and billowy, these can become a fire hazard.

-Children’s masks should have large eye holes, so they can see what’s going on around them.

-Keep decorations out of doorways, don’t block escape routes with decorations.

-Use battery operated flashlights while trick or treating.

-Tell children to stay away from open flames always, and stay vigilant while trick or treating.

-Dinkler suggests wearing a reflective costume while trick or treating.

 

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