Halloween Safety Tips from SFPD

BOUNDARY COUNTY — Before you send out your trick-or-treaters check out these safety tips provided by South Boundary Fire Protective District.

• When choosing a costume, stay away from long trailing fabric.

• If your child is wearing a mask, make sure the eye holes are large enough for him or her to see out.

• _Provide children with flashlights to carry for lighting or glow sticks as part of their costume.

• _Dried flowers, cornstalks and crepe paper catch fire easily, so keep all decorations away from open flames and other heat sources, such as light bulbs and heaters.

• Use a battery-operated candle or glow-stick in jack-o'-lanterns. Use extreme caution if using real candles. 

• Make sure children are watched at all times when candles are lit. When lighting candles inside jack-o'-lanterns, use long, fireplace-style matches or a utility lighter. 

• Be sure to place lit pumpkins well away from anything that can burn and far enough out of the way of trick-or-treaters, doorsteps, walkways and yards, as they can be a tripping hazard. 

• Remember to keep exits clear of decorations, so that nothing blocks escape routes.

• Check that all smoke alarms in the home are working and change batteries if needed. 

• Tell children to stay away from open flames including jack-o’-lanterns with candles in them.

• Be sure they know how 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 going to Halloween parties at others’ homes, have them look for ways out of the home and plan how they would get out in an emergency.

Decorations are the first thing to ignite in roughly 800 reported home fires each year. More than one-third of these fires were started by a candle, officials cautioned.