The Halloween decorations families are being urged to avoid this year

Dublin Fire Brigade received more than 200 fire-related calls before 8:00 pm alone last Halloween.

While bonfires account for a lot of the emergency activity, fire safety experts are warning that everyday Halloween decorations can also pose a serious risk in homes.

According to home insurance provider OUTsurance, candles, pumpkins and electrical decorations can all increase the risk of a house fire if basic precautions are overlooked.

Where the risks are:

• Candles in pumpkins and jack-o'-lanterns a real flame inside a carved, hollowed-out vegetable sitting near curtains, paper decorations or a doorway is one of the most common home fire risks of the season.
• Decorations placed too close to heat sources: Fairy lights, bulbs and even radiators can ignite paper or fabric decorations placed too close for effect.
• Overloaded sockets: Multiple strings of lights or plug-in decorations run from a single extension lead is a common and avoidable cause of electrical fires.
• Outdoor decorations using indoor-rated electrics: Decorations left outside overnight need outdoor-rated connections; standard indoor cabling exposed to damp Irish autumn weather is a real hazard.
• Flammable costumes near naked flames: Costumes made from flammable material, worn near candles, fireworks or bonfires, are a longstanding and serious burn risk highlighted every year by fire services.
• Unattended flames generally: Whether it's a pumpkin candle, a sparkler propped against a wall, or a bonfire left to burn down alone, an unattended flame is the common thread behind most preventable Halloween fires.

Ian Kennedy of OUTsurance said many of these risks are easily overlooked because Halloween decorations appear harmless.

"Halloween decorations don't feel like a fire risk the way a chip pan or an electric blanket might, which is exactly why they catch people out. A carved pumpkin with a real candle inside looks completely normal sitting on a windowsill or porch, until that candle tips, or a decoration brushes against it, or it's left burning after everyone's gone to bed.

"The good news is that none of this requires giving up on decorating. Battery-operated candles look almost identical to the real thing now, and they remove the single biggest risk in one simple swap.”

"We'd also remind people that a few extra decorations, string lights or an inflatable in the front garden can add up in contents value terms, so it's worth checking that seasonal additions to the home are actually covered, particularly anything left outdoors overnight."

Parents are being encouraged to check their decorations before Halloween night, unplug electrical decorations before going to bed and keep hallways and exits clear.