Ahead of Halloween, London Fire Brigade is raising awareness around the flammability of fancy dress costumes. The Brigade’s scientific advisors and Fire Investigators recently carried out a controlled burn demonstration to show how rapidly costumes can catch fire and burn.
Children’s costumes are classed as toys and therefore must meet specific flammability requirements under toy safety law, but as with many fabrics, they can still burn quickly if exposed to a naked flame. For the burn demonstration, the Brigade used two costumes made of 100 per cent polyester and set fire to them using a candle.
A burn demonstration involving a Princess costume
The costumes burned at varying speeds, and for different lengths of time, but the damage caused to each costume was significant. In each case, as the flames spread across the material, lumps of molten and melted plastic dripped to the floor. If these droplets were to be exposed to skin, they would risk causing significant burns.
A burn demonstration involving a pirate costume
While candles can create a spooky atmosphere on Halloween, they also risk turning the night into a horror show. As the Brigade’s demonstration shows, even a brief exposure to a candle flame can cause a costume to catch fire. A safer alternative to traditional candles are flameless LED candles or glowsticks. If your child has dressed up, they should not carry candles or sparklers whilst wearing their costume.
Buying the right costumes
Children’s costumes must meet toy safety standards for flammability. However, research by the British Toy and Hobby Association has shown that toys are available on popular online marketplaces that do not meet the required toy standards. The Association’s latest findings published this month found 90 per cent of toys they purchased from third-party online sellers, through online marketplaces including Amazon, Temu and Shein, did not meet UK requirements. Of the items tested, 81 per cent were determined to be unsafe after failing testing to legal safety standards, and a further 9 per cent failed on missing labelling or safety warnings, with advice given to consumers to be extra cautious when buying from online marketplaces.
In 2024, the Office for Product Safety and Standards tested the safety of 128 children's costumes purchased from online marketplaces. Just over 20 per cent of the costumes tested failed to meet the safety standards for flammability. These items have now been removed from sale.
Our advice
Station Officer Rob Hill, one of the Brigade’s Fire Investigation officers, said: “Fancy dress is a key part of Halloween and we want to ensure children are as safe as possible when they are out having fun. Fancy dress costumes are a real area of concern, if people don’t follow basic safety advice.
“If your children have dressed up, keep them away from open flames and heat sources. If a costume catches fire, it can cause significant burns that might put your children’s heath at serious risk. It is important to ensure that the costume meets British or European safety standards.”
Always check who the actual seller of the costume is when shopping through online marketplaces such as Amazon, Temu and Shein. Online marketplaces are not legally responsible for the safety of products sold by third-party sellers using their sites.
Jerry Burnie, Head of Toy Safety, British Toy and Hobby Association, said: “Halloween should be fun and unlike normal clothing, children’s costumes must meet toy flammability requirements that are designed to keep children safe. We are concerned by the high number of products sold through online marketplaces that do not meet the required standards and would advise people to take extra steps this Halloween to research the seller they are buying from to ensure they are buying a compliant costume.”
Children’s Costumes – Spot the signs
There are several steps you can take to spot a potentially dangerous costume this Halloween:
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Be wary of any deal that is too good to be true
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Research the seller - check all the reviews and ratings
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Check the safety information on the product listing
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When the item arrives, check the packaging looks professional – blurry logos, bad printing, and missing information could all be signs of an unsafe costume.
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Look for the UKCA or CE mark, and seller details on the packaging and labels on the costume.
If you do buy a costume that you don’t think meets safety standards, contact the retailer or marketplace you bought it from and request a refund. You should also report it to your local Trading Standards office.