Creeping It Real: Staying Safe at Halloween

What good are the best, spookiest and most inspired Halloween costumes and decorations if they're not the safest?

With Southern Californians joining celebrants countrywide in spending a projected $11.6 billion on Halloween this year, the potential for real-life horrors is rife - but also avoidable.

When it comes to decorative lights, spooky season is second only to Christmas and candles. That's why Southern California Edison joins fire and public safety departments in urging customers to be cautious when celebrating and prevent electrical or fire accidents, injuries and property damage.

For instances, popular light, haunted house and inflatable yard displays can place decorators near power lines. Always keep yourself and any materials or tools at least 10 feet away from lines and use a spotter to help identify the hazards when working in an elevated position. If you ever see a downed wire, stay at least 100 feet away from it and call 911 immediately.

SCE advises customers to exercise caution during Halloween festivities to avoid electrical or fire-related accidents, injuries and property damage.

Before installing any lights or other powered decorations, inspect them and their cords and discard any that are damaged.

To then safely enjoy the spooky ambiance these lights help create without starting a fire - particularly with California in wildfire season - keep highly flammable décor like dried cornstalks or paper ghosts at least three feet away from heat sources. This includes burning candles, especially since 50% of candle fires start when flammable items like decorations are too close to them.

There is, however, a simpler solution.

"Flameless candles are safest for illuminating jack-o'-lanterns and any decorations," said Ted Gribble, SCE principal manager of Enterprise Risk Management and Public Safety. "They have the same effect as burning candles and, most importantly, are not a fire hazard."

Here are some additional do's and don'ts for celebrating Halloween safely:

HALLOWEEN DO'S:

• Avoid overloading extension cords.
• Use plastic zip cords when hanging lights instead of staples, tacks and nails.
• Avoid unsafe and counterfeit electrical decorations, using only those bearing the labels of trusted independent safety organizations like UL Solutions.
• Consider LED lights that generate less heat and are more efficient.
• Use only fiberglass or wooden ladders or long-handled tools, staying at least 10 feet away from power lines while remembering that vegetation may block visibility.
• Make sure all smoke alarms are working.
• Turn off all electrical decorations when leaving home or going to bed.

HALLOWEEN DON'TS:

• Never connect two extension cords to extend their length, and never place them in pinched positions.
• Never use electrical products outdoors that are marked "for indoor use."
• Never use metal ladders since they conduct electricity.
• Never decorate power poles.
• Never block escape routes with decorations.
• Never leave batteries in decorations when storing them.

For more information on safety, visit sce.com/safety.