A Halloween-loving couple in California unwittingly found themselves the subject of a frantic 911 call from their neighbors over their ultra-realistic seasonal decorations. Carmen and Travis Long went to great lengths to create some pretty awesome visuals for the holiday, but there was just one problem: they looked so real, their neighbors were worried that the house was burning down!
- It’s the fake fire that had people fooled. The Longs get plenty of people stopping by their property to admire their decorating prowess, the visuals that make it look like there’s a fire inside the house proved a little too uncanny for some neighborhood residents, several of which dialed emergency services, the New York Post reports.
- There’s more than fire to the display, of course. This is Halloween we’re talking about, so there are skeletons, pirates, and plenty of other spooky decorations around. It’s just the pretend fire, which can be seen through the house’s window, that caused alarm.
- The Longs were inspired by Disneyland. “My husband ‘stole’ the idea from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland,” Carmen told Fox13 of her inspiration for the fire. “It’s just satin cloth, an orange light, a red light, and a fan.”
- They’re in touch with the fire department regularly. The Longs say that they not only have a fire alarm system that would notify emergency services if a real fire broke up, but they’re also in touch with the fire department every weekend to update them on the state of affairs. It’s all safe!
- Despite the hiccup, most people really do love their Halloween decorations. “We are happy that 99% [of the feedback] has been positive,” Carmen said. “We are happy that our love for Halloween and the pirates theme is shared by many. Our only letdown has been some theft of our decorations and some damage to our home from a small handful of visitors. This is the first time that has happened. Other than that… it’s been a great time!”
