3 ways to avoid Halloween fire hazards

10/30/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Greater St Augustine / St Augustine Beach is Here to Help this holiday season! We can be reached at (904) 429-4457 24/7 365 days a year!

Halloween is almost here, bringing ghosts and ghouls to your doorstep, and allowing you to deck your house out in spooky decorations. While this is the perfect time to decorate your home, it’s important to use safe decoration practices to prevent the need for fire restoration services. Since two out of five Halloween fires occur because of improperly placed decorations, it’s best to ensure you avoid fire restoration by utilizing the following simple tips.

How to Prevent Halloween Fires

1. Skip Open Flames

Whether you’ve placed candles in pumpkins or paper-bag lanterns, open flames pose a significant risk. Unsupervised lit candles can easily be accidentally knocked over. The flames can spread fast, particularly if they’re near flammable items.

Instead, light up your yard and decorations the safe way using alternative methods, such as glow sticks or battery-operated candles. Always teach young trick-or-treaters to be cognizant of any open flames when collecting candy by encouraging them to stay away from the flames.

2. Use Dried Decorations Sparingly

While open flames pose a high threat, there are many other heat sources that can also start fires, particularly if they are surrounded by dried out decorations. Popular fall items like dried cornstalks, hay, flowers, and crepe paper are flammable and can catch fire when placed too closely to high-wattage light bulbs or portable heaters.

Make sure if you use any dried Halloween decorations that they are placed away from any heat source and use them sparingly to prevent accidents.

3. Don’t Block Doorways

Halloween fires can also occur in your home if you decorate the interior. While you may be tempted to decorate doorframes using fake cobwebs and paper streamers, this can actually make it more difficult to exit the home if a fire does break out.

Keep obstructive decorations to inner walls and out of hallways, windows, and doorways, leaving an open path to exit the home in the event of a fire.

If you’ve experienced the damage fires can cause and want a reliable professional to help you with the fire restoration process, contact SERVPRO of Greater St. Augustine / St. Augustine Beach in St. Johns County, FL. In addition to fire repair services, this team also offers water extraction, storm damage restoration, and emergency cleaning. To learn more about their services, visit them online or call (904) 429-4457.