Those Halloween decorations going up at houses nationwide may look scary, but misuse or bad placement of them could be even scarier.

Tim Iman, a firefighter with the Butler Bureau of Fire, said decorations can be fire hazards if their instructions are not followed, their plug-in cords being the culprit of some local fires over the years.

“That's the big thing with Halloween decorations, Christmas lights, a lot of people tend to misuse extension chords,” Iman said. “A lot of times you can overload the circuit and cause electrical fires.”

This week is Fire Prevention Week, organized by the National Fire Protection Association to remind people of proper fire safety measures. The theme this year is “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety,” which Iman said is fitting because fall is a good time to check the batteries of smoke alarms.

“We have definitely been promoting when you change clocks, change the batteries,” Iman said. “Another thing we are preaching is not only learning the sounds, but what to do when you hear them.”

The Butler Bureau of Fire promotes fire safety year-round, but Iman said the fall is a good time for reminders. Iman said an important message promoted by the bureau is that people know what each of the sounds means from a smoke detector or carbon monoxide detector.

He said continuous chirping indicates that the detectors have identified a cause for alarm, but other types of beeps may be less obvious.

“Ideally, we want to see them in every living area of a house but a kitchen or bathroom,” Iman said of smoke detectors. “The minimum recommended is one smoke detector per floor.”

Additionally, Iman said it is important that people know what to do should they experience a house fire. He said an electrical fire can develop quicker than ever because of modern wiring and electricity, so people may only have about three minutes before they need to get out of the house.

Just make sure everyone inside knows where to meet once outside.

“Ideally, we want you to call 911 and exit the house,” Iman said. “If you have fire extinguisher training, if you are able to mitigate the fire, you can do it, but if it becomes anything more you need to get out.”