Families get fire warning over Halloween costumes
FAMILIES are being reminded of the dangers of Halloween costumes and how quickly they can set alight.
Shocking footage from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service shows a dress catching fire in just three seconds.
Children’s fancy dress costumes are classed as toys and are not subject to the same safety criteria as regular clothes.
TV presenter Claudia Winkleman is among those who have been campaigning for tougher safety standards after her daughter Matilda was involved in a horrific accident when her witch outfit caught fire back in 2014.
Now Rochdale Borough Council is warning parents to follow correct safety procedures to avoid any similar incidents this Halloween.
Families are being advised to swap naked flame candles for LED equivalents in pumpkin lanterns and to check that their children’s costumes meet safety regulations and are labelled with a ‘CE’ mark, which means they should burn at a rate that will allow a child to get out of it before a serious injury occurs.
The warning has been issued as part of the Safe4Autumn Treacle Campaign, a joint campaign between the council, fire service, police, Transport for Greater Manchester and trading standards.
They’re also reminding people of the ‘stop, drop and roll’ rule.
Councillor Janet Emsley, Rochdale Borough Council’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods, community and culture, said: “Halloween is a time for fun frights but we don’t want any real scares.
“Using battery-powered lights instead of candles and checking costumes for the CE label before buying them is really important because it will help protect our children from serious harm.
“It’s important that we always remember if clothing does catch fire to stay calm, stop, drop and roll.”
The fire service film features firefighter Matt Heslop using a lighter to show how they catch fire in three seconds and burn to a crisp in just a few minutes.
David Acton, chair of Greater Manchester Fire Authority, said: “Children’s Halloween costumes are classed as toys and therefore exempt from the usual strict fire safety testing that other day-to-day clothing goes through.
“This means they are potentially much more flammable than regular clothing and as our experiments show, the speed at which they ignite is horrifying.
“If you do let your child wear these costumes, please keep away from naked flames, try and use battery powered candles in your pumpkin.”