Nothing looks quite like the flicker of a real candle inside a jack-o-lantern. Battery lights have gotten much better, though, and safety groups have a clear opinion on which one to use. Here is how the two compare, so you can decide what goes inside your pumpkin this year.
What the fire numbers say
The National Fire Protection Association reports that from 2020 to 2024, United States fire departments responded to an average of 835 home fires a year that began with decorations. About one-third of those fires were started by candles, and nearly half happened because a decoration was too close to a heat source, such as a candle or hot equipment.
A jack-o-lantern puts an open flame inside something that often sits next to hay bales, cornstalks, dry leaves, paper decorations and costumes. That is why fire safety groups point people toward battery lights.
What safety groups recommend
The NFPA recommends glow sticks or battery-operated candles for jack-o-lanterns and other Halloween decorations. The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends a battery-operated flameless candle, flashlight or glow stick instead of a real candle. Oklahoma State University Extension lists flashlights, flameless candles and glow sticks as good alternatives as well.
The case for battery lights
Battery lights solve the biggest problem with candles: there is no flame to catch a costume sleeve, a hay bale or a dry leaf. They also have some practical advantages.
They do not blow out in the wind, so your pumpkin stays lit on a breezy night. Many come with timers or remote switches, so you can set them once and forget them. They are easy for kids to turn on and off themselves. And a candle gives off heat inside a closed pumpkin, which can dry it out from the inside, while a small battery light gives off very little.
If you want the look of a real flame, choose a flickering tea light or a warm white color rather than a bright blue-white. Two or three small lights spread around the inside give a fuller glow than one.
If you still choose a candle
Some people love the real thing, and if you use one, a few precautions help.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says a votive candle is the safest choice if you use a candle, and that candlelit pumpkins should never sit on a porch or any path where visitors may pass close by. Oklahoma State University Extension advises keeping candlelit pumpkins outside the home, on a sturdy surface, away from flammable materials. Keep the pumpkin well away from hay bales, cornstalks and dry leaves, and never leave a lit candle unattended. The NFPA also suggests teaching children to stay away from open flames, including jack-o-lanterns with candles in them.
A small chimney hole cut in the lid lets heat out, and lighting the candle with a long match or a long-reach lighter keeps your hand away from the flame.
Our take
For a porch where children and costumes will be passing by, battery lights are the better choice. They are safer, they are easier, and they put less heat inside the pumpkin. Save real candles, if you use them at all, for a pumpkin you can watch the whole time it is lit.
Light is only part of it
Even with the best light inside, a carved pumpkin does not last long. It usually holds up for about a week to ten days. Our post on when to carve your pumpkin will help you time it for Halloween night. If you want a display that lasts into November, our post on how long porch pumpkins last explains why whole pumpkins hold up so much longer.
Questions about your pumpkins?
If you have a pumpkin question we did not cover here, we would be glad to help. Call or text us at (513) 409-0005, or send a message through our contact page. We are a family-run business right here in the Springboro, Dayton and Cincinnati area, and we are always happy to talk pumpkins.