The Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal urges families across the state to be aware of fire safety rules when bringing their children to haunted houses during this Halloween season.  When special amusements fail to follow state safety codes, they pose the risk of potentially deadly fires.  Fire Marshal Matkaitis said that haunted houses are considered “special amusement buildings” under Illinois law.  The state-adopted Life Safety Code applies to these structures 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.  Every special amusement building exceeding 10 feet in height or 160 square feet in area, should be protected throughout by an approved, supervised and properly maintained automatic sprinkler system.  Children should always be accompanied by a parent or an adult when visiting haunted houses.  Only allow children to wear reflective and fire-retardant costumes and masks that do not obstruct vision.  If kids will be out after dark, use light-colored materials or retro-reflective tape to increase visibility.  Teach children to meet at a designated area outside of the building, in case of a fire emergency.  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 visit www.sfm.illinois.gov.