Flame-Free Halloween Urged By Burn Victim’s Family

By Andrew Gorosko

To prevent children from suffering severe burns, such as those that a young boy received last Halloween when his costume caught fire after coming into contact with an open candle flame during trick-or-treating, a campaign is underway encouraging people to use safe battery-powered devices which simulate flickering candle flames, known as flameless candles, for Halloween decorations.

While trick-or-treating at a Gopher Road home last Halloween night, a 7-year-old boy wearing a loose-fitting costume accidentally came into contact with a decorative candle flame on the front porch of a home there, causing his costume to quickly catch fire. The boy suffered severe, third-degree burns to his face, head, neck, and hands.

Cary DeYoung, now age 8, and a student at Hawley School, who is the son of Neal and Suzy DeYoung of 9 Gopher Road, has been undergoing medical treatment since the accident.

Cary, his siblings, parents, and others gathered Saturday, September 3, at the Drug Center Pharmacy at 61 Church Hill Road to promote the use of safe battery-powered devices that simulate flickering candle flames, instead of actual lit candles, this coming Halloween.

The pharmacy will be selling the flameless candles for a nominal price. Other local merchants may also be selling the devices. The flameless candles contain long-lasting lithium wafer batteries, which power a light-emitting diode (LED) that creates a flickering light effect. When viewed in dark surroundings, the device creates the illusion of a burning candle flame.

School officials plan to participate in the fire safety campaign, said Bob Nute, the town’s fire prevention officer.

“Candles and kids don’t mix,” Mr Nute said. He termed the incident that burned Cary DeYoung, “a tragic, preventable accident.”

A simple solution to the fire hazards posed by burning candle flames is the use of the battery-powered devices that simulate candles, Mr Nute said. Flameless candles also can be used in luminaria, he said. Luminaria are open, sand-filled paper bags that contain lit candles that are displayed outdoors to celebrate the Christmas season. 

In a flyer to be circulated to students in the public schools, the DeYoung family calls for a “Flame-Free Halloween” through the use of flameless candles, or alternately the use of “glow sticks,” which emit a steady light generated by a chemical reaction.

“We want to focus on Newtown declaring a flame-free Halloween,” Mr DeYoung said September 3.

Mr DeYoung said that Suzanne Lang, a Girl Scout leader with Troop 433, recommended that the town promote a flame-free Halloween in view of the serious fire hazards which are posed by open candle flames.

Mr Nute said he will promote the use of flameless candles in his role as the town’s fire prevention officer.

“We need to create that [fire prevention] awareness…Be aware of what can happen…It’s all awareness,” he said.

Fire officials have said that Cary DeYoung was trick-or-treating with his parents and siblings at a Gopher Road at about 8:27 pm last Halloween, when while on an open porch there, Cary noticed an electrically powered decorative toy cauldron, which discharges smoke, positioned on a low table. The boy leaned over to inspect the device and in doing so, a piece of his costume came into contact with an open flame that was burning atop a softball-sized, pumpkin-shaped candle. The flame ignited the costume and caused Cary to catch fire.

Cary was wearing a costume portraying “Ring Wraith,” a character from the fantasy trilogy The Lord of the Rings. The synthetic-fabric costume was a loose-fitting, one-piece black gown with a hood attached. A dark gauzelike material covered the boy’s face. The costume had strands of fabric hanging from its sleeves.

When the costume ignited, it burned very quickly, with the flames shooting upward. Ignition of the costume occurred in a matter of seconds. On seeing what had occurred, the homeowner attempted to extinguish the blaze and in doing so, was severely burned also.

Cary’s torso was protected from burn damage because he was wearing a heavy shirt underneath the costume.

Local firefighters annually respond the several fires that are caused by candles.

After children wear Halloween costumes, parents should discard the garments, according to fire officials. Allowing children to continue wearing such garb in a household environment after Halloween could pose fire hazards.