The Illinois State Fire Marshal Urges Caution When Visiting Haunted Houses

SPRINGFIELD – Every year during this Halloween season, the Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) takes the lead in educating the public about preventative measures to ensure a fun and save experience when entering a haunted. While temporary haunted houses and other structures open to the public are popular in every community, they also present a potential fire hazard if the necessary state fire safety measures are not in place.

“Haunted house operators must keep in mind that their responsibility for public safety is a priority,” said Fire Marshal Larry Matkaitis. “There are specific state fire code guidelines for temporary structures that shall be followed before opening haunted houses.”

Haunted houses are considered “special amusement buildings” under Illinois law, whether temporary, permanent or mobile. Because they are built to be used for a short period of time, many of them are constructed with combustible materials such as plywood and cardboard. In the majority of cases, the use of special effects, loud noise, reduced lighting, narrow walkways or other props could be a safety hazard if protective measures are not in place.

OSFM reminds local enforcement agencies, haunted house owners and operators to strictly follow Life Safety Code requirements in these temporary occupancies. These structures are not exempt from fire sprinkler or fire detection system requirements. Every special amusement building exceeding 10 feet in height or 160 square feet in area, shall be protected throughout by an approved, supervised and properly maintained automatic sprinkler system.

Smaller structures are exempt from the sprinkler system requirement, but are still required to comply with Life Safety Code (LSC) published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

OSFM offers the following tips that parents and caretakers should know before entering haunted houses:

• Children should always be accompanied by a parent or an adult guardian when visiting haunted houses.
• Only allow children to wear reflective and fire-retardant costumes and masks that do not obstruct vision.
• Make sure costumes are loose so that children can wear warm layers underneath.
• If children will be out after dark, use light-colored materials or retro-reflective tape to increase visibility.
• Point out exits to children once entering the haunted house or ask the owner to provide information on the location of exits.
• Teach children to meet at a designated area outside of the building, in case of a fire or other emergency.

Haunted house operators must also comply with the below Life Safety Code requirements:

• There must be an adequate number and width of means of egress to accommodate occupant loads within the structure.
• There must be panic hardware on exit doors if the occupant load exceeds 100 persons.
• There are restrictions on dead-end pathways.
• Stairway construction must meet LSC requirements for riser height and tread depth, provision of handrails, and fire rated enclosure in some situations.
• The use of open flame devices or pyrotechnic special effects is restricted, unless the operator has specific permitting and licensing for the use of indoor pyrotechnics under Illinois law, which prohibits the use of pyrotechnics in structures that are not protected by an automatic sprinkler system.
• Furnishings and decorations including all draperies and curtains are required to be flame resistant.
• Illuminated exit signs including low-level exits and emergency lighting should be present.
• Fire alarm systems should be interconnected to bring up lighting and shut down sound upon activation.

For further information regarding the requirements applicable to haunted houses, or any special amusement building, contact the Office of the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Prevention Division at (217) 558-0639, or visit http://www.sfm.illinois.gov.