'Their living room burned down from a tealight': Peterborough firefighters' Halloween warning
We're being urged to be careful with costumes and candles this Halloween
Firefighters in Peterborough, Stamford and Rutland want us to know the fire risks around candles and costumes this Halloween.
We're being warned tealights pose a particular risk when placed around the house, and that LED Lights are a much safer option to use in our pumpkins.
Some costumes can also be highly flammable, and we're being told to check labels to ensure they meet safety standards.
Commander of the Cambridgeshire Fire Prevention Community Team, Gareth Boyd, said tealights may seem harmless but can be dangerous:
"If you're going to use little things like tealights, make sure you've got something solid under those like a plate or a glass ashtray.
"Someone set one on top of an old TV. The heat actually melted the top of that TV and the tealight fell into the TV itself, and they lost their whole front room.
"We're coming into that time of year where people are getting their decorations out for cultural events, such as Diwali and Christmas. We know decorations involve the use of candles, so make sure they're used responsibly and put out at night."