ECFR Urges Candle Fire Safety During Halloween

Escambia County Fire Rescue encourages residents to be mindful of their candles before, during and after Halloween. From Halloween through New Year's Eve, Escambia County has seen an increase in home fires due to unattended candles.

"With decorations being put up for Halloween, unattended candles are used as part of the decorations on porches and inside the home," said Escambia County Fire and Life Specialist Ray Melton. "Candle use increases again for November into Thanksgiving and then into the Christmas season. Decorations are always the first things to burn and can spread very quickly."

Escambia County Fire Rescue encourages residents to use battery-operated candles or electric candles with the UL label. Glow sticks and bracelets are recommended for children when trick-or-treating.

Escambia County Public Safety is responsible for keeping citizens safe from emergencies and both man-made and natural disasters. Its divisions include Emergency Communications, Emergency Management, Emergency Medical Services, Fire Rescue and Pensacola Beach Lifeguards. For the latest information on emergency management services in Escambia County, residents are encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts on myescambia.com.

Follow Escambia County Public Safety on Facebook and Twitter:
Facebook: @ECPublicSafety
Twitter: @ECPublicSafety