Hallowe’en is upon us, but so too is the heightened risks of fire.

This morning, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service has launched a caution to children and adults in a bid to reduce the number of accidents and injuries attributed to fires in association with Hallowe’en.

“We know this is a special time for children and with last year’s restrictions now easing, this is an opportunity to wear fancy dress costumes and carve pumpkins,” commented Richie Felton, Head of Community Safety for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

“The use of naked flames in pumpkins along with costumes that are potentially non-compliant with fire safety regulations is a recipe for disaster.”

Richie Felton is asking people to check that all Hallowe’en costumes have the ‘CE’ mark while LED candles inside a pumpkin are a much safer alternative than real flames.

“Simple actions like this can drastically improve the chances of having a safe and happy Hallowe’en,” he said.

Hot on the heels of Hallowe’en comes Bonfire Night which also has a heavy impact on the MAWWFRS and partner agencies including the police and local authorities.

Worst offenders are dangerous bonfires which may include items which are toxic or which present a danger to spectators because of their risk of explosion.

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Every year, MAWWFRS witness dangerous bonfires being built.

Not only do these bonfires pose a danger to the public, but the environment can be badly affected by poorly built bonfires and arson reduction and community safety members will be working with police and local authority colleagues to ensure that communities are kept safe.

Fireworks also present a major risk to public safety. Each firework is graded within a category with differing safety distances and specific instructions of how they should be lit. Many rockets, for example, require a minimum of 25 metre safety distance which is the size of an average swimming pool.

The public is being asked to always buy from a reputable retailer and follow individual firework instructions.