Oct 30, 2008 10:24 am US/Eastern
CBS4 I-Team: Kiddie Costumes: A Halloween Hazard
Some Halloween Costumes Can Ignite And Burn Fiercely, Resulting In A Very Real Risk Of Serious Burn Injuries
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
For children, it's a holiday meant to be frightful. Jack-O-Lanterns and haunted houses awash with flickering candles attract Halloween revelers young and old.
But as cadres of little super heroes step into their costumes, few parents can imagine the real life nightmare the wearing of one costume is now costing a Florida boy.
"I liked it", says 4-year-old Joseph who loved his Halloween costume, which he sometimes wore to sleep and also played in. One day he picked up a lighter and accidentally set the costume on fire.
According to his mother, Angela Bond, in minutes' time 40 percent of his body was burned.
"I had to rip the costume off of him and his skin was just hanging there. I called 911 and they airlifted him," she recalled.
Bond says she had no idea when she chose her son's costume for Halloween that it was not flame retardant. She says it was made in China and manufactured by Disguise, a company that - according to its website - is the world's leading costume manufacturer.
Children's Halloween costumes, unlike children's sleepwear, do not have to be flame retardant. The Bond family is suing Wal-Mart and Disguise alleging the costume was defective and unreasonably dangerous.
"The important thing is to look for a costume that says it is flame retardant or made with flame resistant material, that's the best choice," says Mike Jachles, Public Information Officer for Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue.
But the I-Team investigation found that may be easier said than done.
In our checks for flame resistant labels, we have not yet found one. Also, not one spokesperson for stores that sell costumes that we called could tell us if they sold any costumes that were flame retardant or resistant.
Lt. Joseph Schwartz of the State Fire Marshall Office urges parents to remember that costumes are just that - costumes, and only to be worn on Halloween and kept at all times away from fires and flames.
"It's for one night. If you want to wear it again next year, that's fine. But it's not to be slept in, not to run around the house in especially if there is an open flame," cautions Lt. Schwartz.
Meanwhile, Joseph is expected to face decades of surgeries. He must wear specialized garmets to help heal his wounds, an image his mother wants to share in the hopes of protecting other children from a haunting Halloween that could hurt them.
The following is a statement provided to us on behalf of Wal-Mart: "Product safety is a top priority at Wal-Mart, particularly, as it relates to childen. This case is a tragic situation and we moved quickly to put the family's attorney in contact with the supplier of the product. Our understanding is that the product was subject to safety tests and deemed safe for use by children."
Officials for Disguise have not responded to CBS4 I-Team calls.
For Halloween safety hints, click on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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