Halloween is near and you’ve prepared costumes, decorations, and special treats. But have you considered the accidents that can occur on Halloween? According to the US Fire Administration, for each year from 2014 to 2016, there were about 10,100 reported fires over a three-day period around Halloween in the US. Those fires caused an estimated 30 deaths, 125 injuries and $102 million in property loss.
As you can see, the spookiest thing about Halloween is the hazards, especially those related to fire. Here’s a list of safety measures you can take to make sure your Halloween celebration stays fun and memorable.
PuroClean of Waconia provides services in Victoria, Chaska, Eden Prairie and neighboring areas.
Halloween Fire Safety Tips
- Decoration placement — Don’t place decorations near candles and other heat sources, such as electric heaters or light bulbs. Also, place decorations far enough out of the way of trick-or-treaters, driveways, doorsteps, and walkways. Ensure exits are clear of decorations, so nothing blocks escape routes.
- Jack-o-lanterns — Use battery-operated lights or flashlights instead of candles in jack-o-lanterns. If you use real candles, be extremely cautious when handling the pumpkins. Keep them at a safe distance from flammable items.
- String lights — Indoors and outside, use only lights that have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory. Also, check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, and loose connections. Discard damaged sets. And don’t overload extensions cords!
- Other lights — Use battery-operated candles as alternatives to wax candles or torch lights when decorating walkways and yards. They are much safer for trick-or-treaters, whose costumes may brush against the lighting.
- Costumes — When choosing a costume, stay away from long trailing fabric. If you are making your own costume, choose a material that won’t easily ignite if it comes into contact with heat or flame.
- “Stop, drop and roll” — Tell children to stay away from open flames. Have them practice the “stop, drop, and roll” technique in case their costume catches fire: stopping immediately, dropping to the ground, covering their face with their hands, and rolling over and over to put the flames out.
- When kids attend parties — 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.
Other Halloween Safety Tips
- Accompany your kids — Children under the age of 12 should be accompanied by a trusted adult when going out at night. Teens can be allowed to go in groups and trick-or-treat in well-lit areas.
- Know where your child is going — Be familiar with the route your kids will be taking and make sure they carry a mobile phone. Tell them to check in with you every hour and to come back home at a designated time.
- Costume props — Any props that a child might carry, such as a pitchfork, knife or scythe, should be flexible and safe enough to not cause an injury.
- Pets — If you choose to dress up your pet, make sure that the costume does not constrict the animal’s movement or annoy him in any other way. Additionally, keep candles, props, wires, and cords out of reach of your pets. Make sure jack-o-lanterns with candles can’t be knocked down by dogs or cats.
Tips to protect children from vehicles while trick-or-treating:
- Costume design — Choose a light-colored costume and attach reflective tape or stickers to make them more visible.
- Masks — Masks can obstruct a child’s vision, so consider replacing them with face paint or makeup. But if your child does wear a mask, make sure the eye holes are large enough so they can see out.
- Carrying lights — Children should carry flashlights or glow sticks to see and be seen during night time. Those can be a fun addition to their costumes, as well!
- Crossing streets — Tell them to walk and not run. Before crossing a street, they must use crosswalks whenever possible and look both ways.
- Driving — Adults should pay close attention when driving, and anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic, especially between 5:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.; remind other drivers to watch out for trick-or-treaters, too.
Unfortunately, fire disasters can happen even to the most vigilant of people who follow these Halloween safety tips. If you require professional fire and smoke restoration services, contact your local PuroClean office. Be safe and have a Happy Halloween!
To prolong the life of your roof and ensure water doesn’t leak through, your home’s roof should be inspected twice a year. Once in late spring, and once during the fall. So don’t prepare for Halloween just yet – make sure you do the following roof maintenance tasks first:
- Trim the trees. Dead tree limbs can fall on your roof and cause damage, especially when it’s raining or snowing. Trees that are leaning towards your house could also fall on your roof or allow squirrels and raccoons to pay your roof a visit. Twigs, leaves, and other debris can cause rotting, gutter blockage, termite invasion, and roof damage. If you want to avoid these problems, remove overhanging branches and ensure that trees aren’t leaning towards your home.
- Check and clean the gutters. One of the best ways to prepare for the cold season is to clean your gutters and ensure they’re well-anchored. This allows rainwater and thawed snow to flow properly off your roofline, avoiding leaks and water damage to your home. So remove leaves and other debris from the gutters regularly throughout the fall. In addition to this, install gutter guards – these ward off any debris that would invade your gutters.
- Inspect the roof for damage:
- Check the roof flashings – these cover gaps near vents and chimneys, and can be dislocated during a storm. Replace faulty flashing pieces.
- If you have an asphalt roof, replace shingles that have bare spots, are warping, or are curling at the edges.
- If you own a wooden shake roof, look for signs of warping. If at least 25 percent of your wood shingles are damaged, replace the roofing material.
- If you have a metal roof, look for signs of pitting, corrosion or gapping seams as these can lead to leaks or underlay damage.
- Get a professional roof inspectionif you feel you’re not up to the task yourself. Your roof might need adjustment and repairs. Do them now, don’t wait another winter!
Got leaks in your roof? Check out how to handle roof leaks. For mold remediation service and flood water damage repair, contact your local PuroClean office.
As the leaves turn from green to orange, the weather cools, and you start preparing for the cold season ahead. You’re excited for Halloween and can’t wait to start decorating your home. But have you thought about the fire safety risks that arise during the fall? Here are a few important fire safety tips to keep in mind:
- Change smoke/carbon detector batteries and test the alarms. When Daylight Savings Time begins and ends, it’s a good idea to change your smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries. This ensures the alarms don’t fail when you turn the heat on in your home. Don’t forget to also test the smoke alarms after change the batteries. Check that all fire extinguishers are in working order when you adjust the clocks each season.
- Fully check and service your heating devices before cranking up the heat:
- Have your HVAC system inspected, cleaned, and serviced by a certified HVAC contractor. Check and replace furnace filters with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. Learn more HVAC maintenance tips.
- If you use space heaters, ensure there’s at least three feet of space around them. Don’t place fabrics on space heaters to dry, and turn heaters off when going to bed. Check out more space heater safety tips.
- If you’ve got a fireplace, hire a professional chimney sweep to inspect and clean your chimney. Keep flammable objects at least three feet away from the fireplace and install a mesh metal screen around it. Here are more fireplace safety guidelines.
- Halloween safety – Can’t wait to decorate your home and mastermind scary costumes for Halloween? Remember that Halloween safety comes first. Keep decorations away from open flames and other heat sources, and use battery-operated lights instead of candles in jack-o-lanterns. We strongly advise you not to use real candles for decorating your home, but if you do, here are essential candle safety tips.
- Outdoor fire risks – As leaves and other flammable debris build up around your home, make it a habit to remove them periodically. Prune trees and rake up leaves and twigs. Don’t store fuel in your home or garage. Keep your roof, gutters, and downspouts clear of debris and remove fuel from lawn mowers before storing them for winter.
- Create a fire escape plan and practice it regularly.Say a fire breaks out at 2 AM and your smoke alarms wake you and your family up – what do you do? This is when the fire escape plan comes into play. Designate an escape route for each area of your home and establish a meeting place outside. Practice escaping your home while staying low to avoid breathing in smoke. Also practice escaping through windows using emergency ladders.
Follow these tips, and don’t let a fire ruin your fall. For professional smoke remediation or fire damage repair, contact your local PuroClean office.
Home fires can start unexpectedly, but taking preventative measures can greatly decrease the risk of a fire in your home. Although some home fire causes are quite obvious, it’s important to be aware of them and be proactive in preventing them. Here are some of the most common causes of home fires with tips on how to avert them:
1. Cooking
Cooking is the number one cause of home fires. Unattended cooking, as well as grease build-up are the most frequent causes of fires in the kitchen. Always supervise the range or stove top when cooking and keep the kitchen surfaces free from grease to prevent fires. Find out more tips to prevent kitchen fires.
2. Heating Equipment
During the colder months, heating equipment, such as electric heaters or fireplaces, are major fire risks in homes. Place heaters at a safe distance away from flammable materials and always supervise them when operating. Check your chimneys for creosote build-up periodically and never use flammable liquids to start a fire in the fireplace.
3. Electrical Causes
Outdated wiring and breaker boxes, as well as old appliances present a fire threat. Moreover, plugging too many appliances into an extension cord can cause the cords to overheat and start a fire. You can find more electrical fire safety tips on our blog, offering practical ways to prevent hazards and keep your home safe.
4. Candles
Candle fires are more frequent during holidays, such as Christmas and Halloween. Keep candles away from curtains, decorations and other combustibles, and make sure candle holders are stable. Using battery-operated candles instead of real ones is much safer.
5. Smoking
Fires caused by lit cigarettes can start when a person falls asleep with a cigarette in hand or when the embers from a butt fall on combustible materials. Smoke outside to avoid these risks. If you smoke inside, avoid doing so when tired, and use large and deep ashtrays.
6. Flammable Liquids
Liquids that can catch fire include gasoline, paints, cleaning agents, thinners, and more. Keep these chemicals in approved containers and away from electrical and heat sources. Store them outside, in a well-ventilated area.
7. Kids Playing with Fire
Some children play with fire out of curiosity, not realizing that it’s very dangerous. Keep lighters and matches out of children’s sight and reach. Also, try to avoid using lighters and matches in front of them, as many kids imitate what adults are doing. Discover more tips to keep children safe from fire.
8. Christmas Trees
During the holiday season, many home fires can start due to negligent use of Christmas tree decorations. Electrical failures and candles are the main culprits of Christmas tree fires. Use only lights that have the label of an independent testing laboratory. In addition, replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. Never decorate trees with lit candles.
To help prevent fires in your home, install smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, as well as a fire sprinkler system. As Halloween is approaching, take a look at these tips to prevent home fires during this holiday. For professional fire, water and mold restoration services, contact your local PuroClean office.
After making a great Jack-o’-lantern for Halloween, many of us are disappointed when we see mold spots on it the next day. Like any vegetable, carved pumpkins will decay and be infested with mold relatively fast if not treated. Here are a few ideas to help you enjoy your carved pumpkins longer:
- After carving, soak the pumpkin in a bucket filled with a solution of water and bleach (1 teaspoon of bleach per gallon of water) and leave it there for 8 hours. Use the same solution to spray the pumpkin daily. Bleach prevents rot.
- Coat your pumpkin with Vaseline (petroleum jelly) after it is carved and emptied to keep it hydrated for several days.
- Spray the pumpkin with acrylic spray to prevent mold growth and preserve the pumpkin flesh.
- Use a commercial pumpkin preservative, such as Pumpkin Fresh, to prolong the life of your pumpkin; it inhibits mold growth and dehydration.
Hand injuries and fires are unfortunate accidents that occur during Halloween season. You can prevent these from happening by following a few simple tips:
- Instead of using candles, choose battery-operated or electric lights to bring your pumpkins to life. Unattended candles present a high risk of accidental fire. Moreover, electric lights can provide more options, such as color effects, LED lighting and strobe.
- To avoid injury, make sure your hands, pumpkin and tools are dry before carving. Moisture can cause your hands or knife to slip.
- Supervise children at all times while they carve pumpkins. Only allow young kids to use the safest tools possible, such as spoons.
For fire safety reasons, we would like to remind you to never leave a candle unattended during Halloween or at any other time. PuroClean of Waconia is ready to provide professional restoration services to any home that affected by fire, mold or water damage.
