Halloween Fire Safety

One of the other factors that is often forgotten when people think of fires on Halloween is the potential delay in response- with trick-or -treaters everywhere you look on the route from the station to your home, the fire engines and Paramedics might have to drive a little slower than usual and may have to stop more frequently for children who have strayed from the sidewalk. So if you see a fire, it is important that you call immediately to give responders as much time to get there as possible. If you have extra adults with you, send some either direction to clear the road- make sure that they stay out of the street as well.

Dry dead leaves should be raked up and disposed of- not just on Halloween either! You can compost them if you know how, but if you are currently preparing for your party, you may not have time to read up on that right now... please read up on it and consider giving it a try after your party! For now, the leaves should not be there, so just dispose of them!

If you have dead shrubs, try perking them up a bit with water- if you are in a drought with restrictions, see the next box down for options that have kept my plants alive without violating the restrictions! If the bush/shrub/plant etc is dead, get rid of it! You could plant a nice pretty new one after Halloween anyway! If you can't afford any of the watering bags, you can set a bucket or bowl in the shower while you are showering and let it collect the water that was going to go down the drain and dump that in your plants/bushes/trees etc.

During trick or treating you have no idea if people will be walking and smoking, flicking cigarette butts. You or your neighbor might barbecue....

Wires can cause fires as well! Before setting up your heavily lit Halloween display, check all of the wires to ensure that none of them have any splits or tears in the rubber insulation. If they do then don't risk it- get a new one!

Some animated Halloween Decorations may require spcific adaptors- be sure to use the original adaptor and not a "substitute" that you found in a box in the garage! If you can't find the right adaptor, look at the decoration near the part where you plug it in and write down all the numbers and words you see there, then measure the 'hole' or take a picture holding a quarter or penny next to the hole. Take your information down to the friendly folks at Radio Shack and have them help you find the right adaptor! They have done this for me on numerous occasions.

Avoid running wires or lights through areas of dry grass and leaves and keep them out of the way to prevent tripping or having them partially pulled from the outlet (which can cause a spark).

Be sure that any extention cords you use outdoors are UL Listed and that they meet all OSHA standards for outdoor use.

I am not endorsing smoking, nor am I going to touch on the health risks in this article because that is a HUGE topic. We are here to discuss fire safety. While we all know it is better not to smoke, it is important to keep in mind that some people still do. I am not asking you to "make smoking more accessible" I am suggesting that if you are hosting a party and smokers are attending, you should be proactive and protect your property and the property of your neighbors from the potential fire risks if you opt not to ban smoking altogether from your property.

If you are having a Halloween Party and are surrounded by dry grass or leaves -as I am in Texas right now- it is best that no one smokes, but someone might try. You can post no smoking signs- especially in severely dry areas even pointing out right in the sign that there is a fire risk.

It is best to plan for someone to try and sneak one and plan a designated area for it before hand, plus set out a metal pail filled 1/2 way with water or if you are in a less risky area, sand and make a little sign for your guests to please ash and dispose of cigarettes and cigars in the pail to prevent fires. You can ask that no one smokes on your property, but keep something on hand just in case so that they do not flick the butt into the grass!

If they are drinking, a water pail will be easier than a sand filled bucket in which they must push the cigarette below the sand. Yes the bucket will be nasty and disgusting to clean- perhaps you should get one you can just throw out but if you are in a high risk area, it is well worth the inconvenience.

If you demand that your guests step off of your property entirely to smoke, then it depends upon where you live and what surrounds your home on whether that would be safe for your home or not- where I am, I would rather have them use the bucket as fire does not respect property lines and there is dry brush everywhere plus starting a fire at the end of the driveway may prevent escape! If you live in an area that is not brushy or that is mostly pavement, ask them to take a used beverage can or bottle with them (littering is not good anyway!).

You should also try to keep the smoking area on concrete and away from piles of dry leaves or dry grass if at all possible. Before the guests arrive, spray down the area surrounding your smoking area with water to further reduce the risk. I like to keep my hose out by the smoking area and give it a spray every now and then throughout the party as well.

If you are a smoker, please do not think I am picking on you! I have been trying very hard to quit for many years and hate to say, but I too sneak out still. I want everyone to keep fire safety in mind!

And please please please.... never flick your cigarettes into dry grass or bushes! Put it out and dispose of it properly.