March 16, 2010

Flame resistant costumes are hard to find

by Cara Restelli, KY3 News

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Story Published: Oct 22, 2009 at 8:47 PM CDT

Story Updated: Oct 23, 2009 at 1:17 AM CDT

SPRINGFIELD -- Halloween stores are packed with customers looking for that perfect costume but the perfect costume might not be the safest.

When it comes to Halloween, Mandy Luder, a mother of three, says her first priority is getting a costume suitable for trick-or-treating.

“Basically keeping them warm is the biggest thing and lots of costumes aren't warm, so you have to put stuff under them,” she said.

Luder admits she doesn’t think much about the safety of Halloween costumes.

“Fire safety is just not the first thing that comes to their minds when buying costumes for their children,” said Springfield fire marshal Bill Spence.

Spence says parents should think about it more because not all costumes are safe. Video from Underwriters Laboratories shows how quickly a Halloween costume can go up in flames - just 15 seconds. It's a big risk when you think about all those jack-o-lanterns lit with candles around this time of year.

Spence says there are ways to protect yourself and your family.

“Parents or guardians need to look at costume and make sure they have a "flame resistant" or "flame retardant" label on them or are UL or FM tested,” he said.

The problem is flame-resistant costumes are hard to find. After a quick trip to three local stores that carry Halloween costumes, a reporters finally had to go online to find ones that are made of flame retardant material.

Luder says manufacturers need to do a better job of protecting kids.

“I didn't think it was a big deal or anything, but it would be nice if they did," she said.

It's not just kids who are at risk. Every year, plenty of adult costumes catch on fire, especially when they mix their celebration with cigarettes and alcohol.

“Smoking, drinking, fires and flames tent to not work well together,” said Spence.

In addition to looking for flame-resistant costumes, costumes should not be loose fitting and should also be short enough to prevent tripping and falling. Stay away from candles and, if you're making your own costume, use natural materials like cotton instead of man-made ones like polyester.

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