ROANOKE RAPIDS — This is Halloween week and hundreds of Valley youngsters will don costumes and head door-to-door or to neighborhood parties in hopes of filling their bags with sweet treats.

Four minutes after the first flicker of flame, all the remains of the ninja costume is a still burning pile of polyester fiber — a solemn reminder of the dangers often forgotten during the Halloween season. todd wetherington | daily herald Advertisement

Often one of the most dangerous pitfalls of the holiday goes ignored — fire — and it can strike in a matter of seconds.

When flames touched a 100-percent polyester ninja costume — a favorite with many youngsters— it took only four minutes for the costume to be reduced to a charred, melted pile of rubble.

Polyester is the worst possible fabric you can choose for a Halloween costume, said Roanoke Rapids Assistant Fire Chief Ricky Dickens after igniting the ninja garb in a demonstration for the Daily Herald.

The costume was not flame retardant and they don’t have to be, the federal guidelines only apply to children’s sleepwear.

Even when purchasing footed pajamas, you need to look carefully for the flame retardant label, Lt. David Marshall said.

This particular costume set off several alarms in the firefighters’ minds. “It’s dark,” Marshall said. “It’s got loose items although they could probably be tied.” And even worse, he added, “It’ll melt.”

While the fire department burned the entire costume provided by the Daily Herald for the demonstration, it only takes one small burn to cause significant injury to a child, the firefighters said.

These injuries, unless they cause a significant fire, usually go unreported to the fire department and are responded to by EMS, Marshall said.

The demonstration

True to the predictions, when the costume is lit, it begins to rapidly burn, the material turning into a dripping liquid at the leg, generating black smoke as it continues to burn up the costume.

Marshall said if you can’t find costumes labeled as fire retardant, it is best to do homemade ones made of all-cotton fabric.

With either store bought or homemade costumes, “It’s best to buy (or make) those that fit tight, not loose garments with tails or baggy materials,” Dickens said.

It is also best to not put candles in jack-o-lanterns since a loose piece of costume could come in contact with the flames. “It’s better to use a battery operated light,” Dickens said.

Trick-or-treating in Roanoke Rapids will be from 6 to 8 p.m., police Chief Jeff Hinton said Friday. It will be for children 12 and under.

Hinton encourages children, adults and motorists to be safe when going out Friday.

“Have flashlights,” he said. “Obey all traffic rules. Do not assume you have the right of way because most of the time motorists have trouble seeing trick-or-treaters.”

Motorists should also exercise caution on that evening. “Be extra careful and be on the lookout for kids.”

One of the things officers see the most in the city is children darting in front of cars.

Hinton said other tips include staying on well-lit streets and using sidewalks whenever possible.  “Trick-or-treat only at homes that have porch lights on. Never consume unwrapped food items or beverages that may be offered and don’t eat treats until they are thoroughly inspected by an adult at home.”