Stay safe this Halloween

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service want everyone to enjoy a safe and spooky Halloween this year, but every year many adults and children are injured when lit candles come into contact with trailing costumes and wigs.

So Firefighters have some safety advice so children and parents can celebrate Halloween safely.

Chief Fire Officer, Paul Fuller, CBE said: “We don’t want to stop children enjoying themselves, but I am asking parents take extra care to make sure Halloween is safe as well as fun.

“Battery operated candles are the safest way light up scary things at Halloween but if you do have naked flames around make sure pumpkins, candles and other lights are placed well away from anything that can burn. Don’t put them too close to paths where ‘trick or treaters’ will walk, their flowing costumes might catch fire.

“Make a game of teaching your children to ‘stop, drop, and roll’ if their costume does catch light. This means having them practice stopping still, dropping to the ground, covering their face with hands, and rolling over and over to put the flames out.”

Here are our Halloween safety tips:

• When choosing or making a costume, avoid billowing or long trailing fabric and make sure it is flame retardant
• Keep an eye on children at all times when around lit candles
• Teach children how to ‘stop, drop and roll’ if their clothing catches fire.
• Avoid Plastic capes and using bin liners as costumes
• Keep flowing items like fake hair and capes away from candle and other flames
• If your child is wearing a mask, make sure the eye holes are large enough so they can see clearly
• Give children torches to light their way instead of candles  
• Place candles, pumpkins or any flame out of way of trick-or-treaters, doorways and paths
• 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.
• Use a torch or battery candles in pumpkins rather than candles
• Use extra long matches or a utility lighter to light candles inside pumpkins  and place them well away from anything that can burn
• Keep exits clear of decorations, so nothing blocks escape routes.
• Use flashlights instead of garden candles and lanterns for decorating your house and paths
• Keep pets safely away from any lit flames
• If your children are going to a friend’s house for a party make a game out of spotting ways out of the home and plan how they would get out in an emergency