Safety Tips: Candle Fires, Halloween Crimes, and Halloween Home Security

If trick-or-treating trends hold steady, more than 40 million costumed kids will hit the streets this Halloween. And while some of the season’s most dramatic fears are somewhat overblown, some problems do measurably increase. From jack-o’-lantern candle fires to Halloween crimes, it can be a vexing holiday for some parents and homeowners—so here’s a look at the risks that Allhallows Eve poses, along with ways to leverage cameras, smart home security systems, and common sense to achieve greater Halloween home security.

Some of parents’ greatest fears about Halloween are right on the money. According to a survey conducted for Safe Kids Worldwide, parents’ biggest concerns include:

• Pedestrian injury (feared by 31% of parents)
• Poisoning (24%)
• Abduction (15%)
• Falls (4%)
• Burns, broken bones, or other (4%)

Some of these worries are exaggerated and should be viewed in context, however. For example, with the exception of a father who famously gave cyanide-laced sugar to his own son—more than 40 years ago—there aren’t known instances where kids have been seriously injured by poisoned trick-or-treating candy. And comprehensive surveys conducted by the US Department of Justice that categorized missing children found that “stereotypical kidnappings” by non-family members “represent[ed] an extremely small portion of all missing children” in 2002 and determined that the sample size of surveyed incidents was too small to estimate in 2013.

But violent crimes, at least in some areas, can see a noticeable uptick. That’s the analysis from James Alan Fox, a professor of criminology at Northeastern University. In 2013, he wrote that violent crimes in Boston, Massachusetts increased dramatically on three dates: January 1^st, July 4^th, and October 31^st. From 2005 to 2009, Halloween violence peaked in the early evening—and again just after midnight.

Throughout the United States, there’s also a noticeable increase in vandalism. The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America notes that Halloween has the highest number of vandalism-related insurance claims of any day by a startling 81%. Likewise, the insurance firm Travelers saw an increase of 60% in thefts inside the home, nearly 20% in vandalism and malicious mischief, and a 21% increase in crimes outside of homes.

Statistics also point to one more common problem: fire. During the holidays, decoration fires become more common, and this includes candle fires that take place on Halloween.

More than 10,000 fires are estimated to happen from October 30^th through November 1^st. These fires are slightly more fatal, injury-causing, and expensive than others throughout the year. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) notes that almost 800 blazes each year start through decorations that catch fire. And more than a third of those incidents begin as candle fires.

That said, the majority of fire types that occur on Halloween also happen most frequently the rest of the year—by a wide margin, cooking fires remain the most common type.

The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI)—a nonprofit organization that studies motor vehicle insurance claims—found that vandalism against vehicles increases by more than 80% on Halloween. From 2008 to 2012, 10 counties with already-high rates of vandalism saw as much as twice the average number of incidents. Lesser-populated (and less vandalism-prone) towns saw an even higher deviation from normal rates, with cities like Atlantic, New Jersey—home to nearly 40,000 people—having nearly six times as many claims.

Here are a few Halloween home security tips to help homeowners and renters prevent and deal with these and other common seasonal crimes:

Cars parked in a garage have an extra layer of protection against malicious mischief. But some families may not have enough room for every vehicle. Some wireless, weather-resistant outdoor cameras can keep an eye on cars parked at the curb or in the driveway.

The solid red lights featured on these cameras can shoot rays of infrared (IR) light—a source of night vision—into the surrounding area, allowing them to record in the dark. And motion sensors embedded in the camera trigger recording when something moves through a given window, or segment, of the recorded image, alerting users to areas of concern.

In recent years, doorbell cameras have gained traction as a defense against package thieves. But when it comes to keeping an eye on a carved pumpkin (or sizing up a costumed visitor at a distance) most consumers won’t do much better than doorbell security cameras with two-way audio.

Like other outdoor home security cameras, these devices can withstand high and low temperatures, detect movement, and see in the dark. And they also act as a miniature intercom, allowing users to converse with trick-or-treaters—or scare away would-be burglars—using a computer or smartphone.

Broken glass is a surprisingly common sight on Halloween (and not just at haunted houses). While most vandals target vehicles, homes, churches, and other buildings can also bear the burden of the holiday’s mischief. Glass-break sensors can enhance home security—and not only on Halloween—by filling in gaps left by other sensors.

Some sensors activate only when doors or windows open. Motion detectors are often turned off for convenience’s sake. But glass-break sensors activate at the sound of shattering glass from as far as 20 feet away, shoring up a common security vulnerability.

A few simple precautions can reduce the likelihood—and the impact—of fire:

• Avoid trailing fabric in costumes, and favor flame-retardant materials
• Keep decorations (especially those made from dried or flammable materials) away from sources of flame
• Test smoke alarms
• Warn children to keep clear of open flames

Practices that apply year-round deserve extra attention as the trick-or-treating season approaches. While less-common fires—such as candle fires—play a larger role, remember that cooking remains the leading cause of fire on Halloween. It’s important to stay in the kitchen while ovens or stoves are hot, and to keep a lid handy for smothering any small grease fires on your stove.

Smoke and heat sensors and carbon monoxide (CO) sensors can keep the festivities from going awry. As part of a smart home security system, devices like these can:

• Help notify emergency responders when a fire breaks out. Combination smoke-and-heat sensors improve on the design of traditional smoke alarms by watching for two common indicators of ignition. Many offer automatic detection of malfunctions or a decline in battery power—checking one oft-forgotten item off of homeowners’ to-do lists. Both the homeowner and a professional monitoring service will be alerted when sensors detect a fire—followed by quickly notifying authorities after confirming an emergency.
• Help users rapidly evacuate when fireplaces and other common heat sources release a deadly toxin. Halloween’s festive mood and the cold approach of winter may lead some homeowners to make a fire. But vents for fireplaces and other fuel-burning equipment may be blocked after months without use, leading to the release of carbon monoxide throughout the home. It’s important to have these devices inspected annually. And CO sensors will detect any buildup of the deadly gas and immediately send notifications and dispatch emergency services.

On Halloween, kids are twice as likely to be killed by a motorist and October remains one of the deadliest months for pedestrians, period. While parents can’t stop all of these deadly collisions, the important thing is to have adults accompany young children (or take them to a planned Halloween event away from traffic).

With automotive vandalism ranking high among Halloween crimes, garage door tilt sensors can prove especially useful to parents who choose not to stay at home. When paired with home security systems, they’ll deliver notifications when the garage door opens—or isn’t completely shut. And again, outdoor cameras can keep a watchful eye on any cars parked in the driveway.

In addition, homeowners with a security system can control smart lights or various devices with smart plugs, remotely turning on and off standard bulbs, decorations, and anything else with an on/off switch that plugs into an outlet. Some of the best reasons to do this on Halloween are:

• Insurers recommend keeping walkways well-lit and obstacle-free—for those looking to have visitors—and shutting off the lights encourages trick-or-treaters to knock elsewhere. Either way, remote-controlled lights allow users to prevent potential sources of liability (like tripping on a dark walkway).
• That said, burglars have a habit of targeting homes believed to be empty. Programming lights to turn on and off on a regular schedule can convince potential intruders that somebody’s home—a useful feature for those who take their kids to events away from their neighborhood.

On October 31^st, things that look frightening usually aren’t—and the things people don’t think about can do real harm. With a few precautions and some help from a smart home security system, residents can relax and enjoy the holiday season.

Frontpoint keeps families safer and more connected in their everyday lives. We've been revolutionizing the home security industry for over a decade. And we're just getting started. To shop DIY home security systems, check out our Security Packages. If you have questions or would like to discuss a quote, contact us at 1-877-602-5276.