Candles and Halloween

[Chimbos]

Out trick or treating with my kids this evening. I stay right next to them as they are quite little and on quite a few doorsteps there were real lit tealights inside pumpkins. I do realise that the chances are low but soooo many kids wear those super flammable dresses and it would just take a kid bending down near a pumpkin with a large mouth and a candle pushed next to it for the dress to go up in flames. Perhaps I’m being paranoid but AIBU to nudge people towards either using LED tealights or keeping the pumpkins out of reach of children?

I thought all shop bought outfits were meant to be fire safe.

This is exactly what happened to Claudia Winkleman’s daughter a few years ago so it is a worry but then again what if you have no LED candles? is it down to the homeowner or the parent to keep the child safe?

Keep your child away from them?

YANBU at all. Had the same thought several times tonight. Crowds of young kids many in long polyester dresses or robes, very close to lit pumpkins.

I watched a news report this week that showed that if you buy outfits from reputable places that conform to safety standards, then the actually really struggle to light. Then the showed an outfit bought online and not up to standard and it went up in seconds.
So always buy from a reputable place!

I used to put real candles in (don’t partake now as my kids are grown up) but my pumpkins were to the side of the paths.

I thought this too but whilst sewing a panel into my daughters today it specifically said on the label keep away from naked flames.
It was bought from Asda.

OP I can understand your concern. My almost three year olds hem of her outfit was really the same height as a couple of pumpkins at a particular house and I had to hurry her away quite quickly (whilst bigger strange kids were crowding her, but that's for another thread).
I'd never have thought about it before but hearing Claudia Winkleman talk about it happen to her daughter really stuck with me.

No kids here, but still enjoy Halloween so like to have decorations including a pumpkin. We know this will entice trick or treaters so we have sweets ready, but it's mainly for ourselves.
I'm not going to go and buy led lights because some parents are too lazy to mind their own children.
(Almost all trick or treaters had parents cautiously waiting at the gate, and the real candle was clearly visible)

It's your responsibility OP to look after them

You sound nice.

Well yes I am doing that.. but several times tonight kids knocked on my door to trick or treat and the parents shouted a thank you from the end of the driveway. Nowhere near close enough to see if there were real tealights lit in our pumpkins.

Are the people who post on Mumsnet real? I mean...they can't be, right?

I've always used real tea lights. It literally has never occurred to me to use fake ones. I don't own any but own hundreds of tea lights.
My pumpkins are on the gravel, raised bit down the side of the drive way that is used as a walkway. If kids were close enough to the pumpkins to catch fire then they would be climbing around my garden which parents absolutely should not let them do.
It's never been an issue.

Maybe I'll think about fake ones for next year to be on the safe side but it's shit that parents can't just watch their kids properly.

But the candles are inside the pumpkin.... a child would have to stick their hand inside the carving..

Well that sounds safe enough. It’s the people who have the pumpkins on the doorway. Literally where the kids stand when they ring the bell with their polyester outfits dangling directly over them.

I usually have a large pumpkin with a candle in and its lid on. Not sure how anyone would set themselves alight on it.

Apparently many are classed as toys and don’t have to meet certain safety standards

https://www.twfire.gov.uk/news/plea-for-parents-to-use-electric-candles-this-halloween-due-to-flammable-costumes-that-can-burn-in-seconds/

Sadly it happened to Claudia Winkleman's daughter a few years ago - she was wearing one of those dress-up outfits (which absolutely are not fire safe!!) for trick or treating and it went up in flames. She was very badly burned.

I'd never thought of this.

I can imagine it as well - you could be stood right near your kid and not see a little pumpkin on a doorstep as a fire risk.

It just hadn't occurred to me at all. Our pumpkins had lids and were on a bench to the side of the front door but I might go with battery ones next year. It's not exactly a big deal to buy a couple of battery ones.

With the costume - I get mine from supermarkets. Not sure about their flammability. But it's something I will be mindful of next year.

To be honest when I first read the thread I did roll my eyes a bit but then I started thinking about it and googled the Claudia thing and that must have been so scary. Thanks for raising awareness!

Oh you'd already said it! Worth a repeat, mind.

I wasn't allowed to touch the pumpkin at home when the candle was lit, as a child. I'm quite wary of this, yanbu op. I'd probably try and use those fake led tea lights to put in displays for trick or treaters, just in case. I say this as a very cautious candle lover.

We have a plastic pumpkin here (he's called Kevin). He has a battery operated coloured light inside. I feel he's less of a risk and we can still enjoy hin without the light if it broke.

Yup we told our kids to stand back from some.

i use led ones

Hmm yes fair point.
I do usually use led ones but couldn't find them this year so used tea lights

Yes, ever since the horrible incident with Claudia Winkleman’s daughter I’ve used artificial tea lights.