Prevent Halloween Fires in your Mashpee Home

10/16/2024 (Permalink)

Prevention is the best defense against fire damage this Halloween.

Halloween is just around the corner, bringing ghosts, goblins & ghouls to your Mashpee doorstep, and allowing you the opportunity to break out your spooky Halloween decorations. All our communities in Barnstable County on Cape Cod love to decorate this time of year but it’s important to decorate safely and use best practices to avoid fire damage.

Did You Know? 2 out of every 5 Halloween fires happen because of improperly placed decorations? It’s best to ensure you avoid fire damage and restoration needs by utilizing the following simple tips.

How to Prevent Halloween Fires

1. Avoid Open Flames

Whether you’ve placed candles in jack-o-lanterns or luminaries, open flames pose a significant risk. Lit candles that are unsupervised can be accidentally knocked over and the flames can spread fast, particularly if they’re near flammable items.

Try using alternative methods to light up your home and yard.  Glow sticks & battery-operated candles are a great way to decorate safely. Always teach children to be aware of any open flames when trick or treating and encourage them to stay away from the flames.

2. Use Dried Decorations Sparingly

While open flames pose the greatest threat for fire damage, there are many other heat sources that can also start fires, particularly if they are surrounded by dried decorations like cornstalks, hay, or flowers. These types of items are flammable and can catch fire easily when placed too closely to high-wattage light bulbs or portable heaters.

Be sure to keep all dried decorations away from any heat source and use them sparingly to prevent accidents.

3. Keep Exit Routes Clear

Halloween fires can also occur from interior decorations like fake cobwebs and paper streamers decorating doorways and windows. This can make it more difficult to exit the home if a fire does break out.

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

If you’ve experienced a fire in your Mashpee home and need restoration services, call SERVPRO of Mid-Outer Cape Cod. In addition to fire damage restoration services, our team also offers water and storm damage cleaning and restoration as well as mold remediation and rodent clean-up. To learn more about our services, visit us online or call (508) 778-7378.