Safety Tips for Halloween

This 2017 photo released by Charles Fremont shows a home decorated for Halloween in Webster Groves, Mo. On a typical Halloween in the St. Louis suburb, neighbors go all out to decorate their houses and yards with spooky skeletons, tombstones and jack-o’-lanterns as up to 1,000 people pack the blocked-off street to carry on an old tradition: Tell a joke, get a treat. This Halloween is going to be vastly different for many. Parents and governments are weighing whether door-to-door trick-or-treating can safely happen. (Charles Fremont via AP)

The Plainfield Fire Protection District would like to wish everyone Happy Halloween. Here are some fire safety reminders from the National Fire Protection Association to keep the holiday enjoyable:

 Use a battery-operated candle or glow stick in jack-o-lanterns.
 Dried flowers, cornstalks, and crepe paper catch fire easily. Keep all decorations away from open flames
and other heat sources like light bulbs and heaters.
 When using electrical lighting to decorate your home, make sure it is used in accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions. Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both.
 Use clips, not nails, to hang lights so the cords do not get damaged.
 Remember to keep exits clear of decorations so nothing blocks escape routes. Make sure all smoke
alarms are working.

For families still planning to attend Halloween parties or go trick-or-treating:

 When choosing costumes, stay away from long trailing fabric that could come in contact with open flames
or other heat sources.
 Teach children to stay away from open flames, including jack-o-lanterns with candles in them.
 Provide children with flashlights to carry for lighting or glow sticks as part of their costumes.