Prevent Fire Damage: Don't Let Halloween be Scary for the Wrong Reasons

8/26/2019 (Permalink)

When autumn arrives our attention quickly turns to the upcoming holidays. Halloween is a favorite of many children, with its colorful decorations, creative costumes, and fun activities. However, holiday celebrations can turn tragic in an instant. The National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) reports that 900 reported fires each year involve holiday decorations. Two of five of these fires started with a candle. To ensure that Halloween is not spooky for the wrong reasons, follow a few safety tips from NFPA. And in the event that a fire does affect your property, remember that SERVPRO of Ennis / Red Oak is nearby and ready to help with cleanup and restoration of damages due to any fire no matter how large or how small.

• Don’t purchase or make costumes with long trailing fabric. If a mask is part of the costume, make sure the eye holes are large enough to see out of.
• Provide a flashlight or glow stick for your children to carry for light and to make them more visible.
• Decorations are often made with dried flowers, cornstalks and crepe paper, which catch fire easily. Keep them away from open flames and other heat sources such as light bulbs and heaters.
• A battery-operated candle or glow-stick is preferred for use in jack-o-lanterns. Use a real candle with extreme caution.
• Monitor children at all times when lighted candles are in the area.
• Light candles inside jack-o-lanterns, with long, fireplace-style matches or a utility lighter.
• Place lighted pumpkins well away from anything that can burn and far out of the way of trick-or-treaters, doorsteps, walkways and yards.
• Keep exits clear of decorations, so nothing blocks escape routes.
• Test home smoke alarms regularly to ensure they are working.
• Warn children to stay away from open flames including jack-o-lanterns with candles in them.
• Be sure your children know to stop, drop and roll if their clothing catches fire. (Have them practice, stopping immediately, dropping to the ground, covering their face with hands, and rolling over and over to put the flames out.)
• If your children are attending a Halloween party away from home, make sure they take note of where exits are and make a planned escape route in case of fire.

If your home or business experiences fire damage due to any kind of fire, SERVPRO of Ennis / Red Oak has highly trained technicians who are qualified to do a thorough job of cleanup and restoration of damage due to water, fire, smoke, or mold. Don’t hesitate to give us a call at 972-937-1494.

This information and more about fire safety and prevention can be found at www.nfpa.org.