Safety tips for Halloween from Fire Protection and Poison Control | News | romesentinel.com

With Halloween only days away, the National Fire Protection Association and the Upstate New York Poison Center want to remind parents and guardians to be safe with decorations, treats and possibly tricks.

Fire safety The National Fire Protection Association warns that, between 2018 and 2022, an annual average of 835 home structure fires began with decorations, resulting in three deaths, 30 injuries and $14 million in direct property damage. Roughly 47% of those fires occurred because the decorations were too close to a heat source, and 32% started with candles.

“Decorating with jack-o-lanterns and other seasonal items, costume parties, and trick-or-treating all present potential fire hazards,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA. “But that’s no reason to let Halloween spook people. With a little added awareness and caution, the vast majority of these risks can be prevented.”

Fire safety tips

Poison safetyAccording to the Upstate New York Poison Center in Syracuse, their helpline received more than 100 calls last Halloween, with many people concerned about glow products, pain medications and personal care products, like lotion. Officials said there were many reported mishaps involving glow sticks.

“We urge parents to keep a close eye on their children to prevent them from biting into these items,” said Dr. Vince Calleo, medical director.

The Poison Control Center can be reached at 1-800-222-1222.

Safety tips

Log In

Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,racist or sexually-oriented language.PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.Don't Threaten. Threats of harming anotherperson will not be tolerated.Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyoneor anything.Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ismthat is degrading to another person.Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link oneach comment to let us know of abusive posts.Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitnessaccounts, the history behind an article.

Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.

Error! There was an error processing your request.

Have the latest local news delivered every evening so you don't miss out on updates.

Coming soon! Sign up today.