Don't Let Your Halloween Get Scary!

NEW YORK -- With Halloween coming soon, it's time to make sure that scary things are also safe. Many of the things that make it fun, like candles and costumes, sometimes add up to a potentially dangerous combination.

Whether you are spending a lot for a trendy costume or just picking something off the local racks, experts say Halloween shopping calls for some different skills.

"This is one time of year when people should really be label shopping," said Anthony Pagano, the Yonkers fire commissioner.

Pagano says consumers should be looking for costumes to be made out of 100 percent polyester, and be flame resistant or fire retardant.

One term you probably won't see is fireproof. "Nothing on Earth is fireproof, so it's going to burn," Pagano said.

Flame-resistant means the costume responds to fire contact more slowly and will sometimes even self-extinguish. The difference in time and intensity could be the difference between a minor burn and major injuries.

If a kid ever notices that his or her costume is on fire, then he or she should simply "stop, drop and roll to smother the flames," Pagano said.

While today's costumes are definitely more flame resistant than in years past, no safety product can substitute for an alert parent.

"Be careful that the costumes aren't too loose fitting," said Patrick Maloney of the Yonkers Fire Department.

NewsChannel 4 spoke with the manufacturers of the various costumes. A couple assured us that for every fire check we do, they've performed a battery of tests to make the costumes safer. But again, parents need to be on their toes.