FOUNTAIN INN, S.C. (LOOTPRESS) — A South Carolina couple’s fiery Halloween spirit has neighbors doing double takes — and dialing 911.
Sam Lee and Amanda Riggins Peden’s home in Fountain Inn appears to be engulfed in flames each night thanks to an elaborate setup featuring glowing orange lights and thick clouds of artificial smoke. The optical illusion is so realistic that within hours of switching it on this year — on October 3 — the local fire department received several emergency calls reporting a house fire.
To put minds at ease, the couple posted a video on Facebook assuring neighbors that their home isn’t actually ablaze.
“Our house will be on fire (not real fire) as Halloween decorations every night from 8–10 PM between now and October 31,” Peden wrote. “Please do not call the fire department again!”
Lee, a former mayor of Fountain Inn, said the couple has been creating elaborate Halloween displays for five years, debuting the “fire house” theme in 2023. “Most people appreciate it,” Lee told Today.com. “But you’ve got the 1 percent who are never happy with anything.”
Fountain Inn Fire Chief Russell Alexander said that when the display first appeared last year, it prompted around 30 calls throughout October. “The first year, we were inundated with phone calls from people driving by the home,” Alexander said. “This year hasn’t been as bad — we’ve only had a few calls from people who are new to the area.”
Still, Alexander said his department responds to every report just in case. “It’s bad practice not to send a truck,” he explained. “If we get a call, we’re sending a truck — no matter what.”
While many online have applauded the couple’s creativity, others have criticized the realistic effect. A viral TikTok video of the home, viewed nearly 25 million times, sparked debate. “This should 100% be illegal,” one commenter wrote. Another added, “It looks cool, but if there’s ever a real fire, people might not take it seriously.”
The Pedens say the display is all in good fun — part of their mission to bring some Halloween magic to their community. Last year, they even staged a mock car crash scene complete with an overturned van and a 12-foot skeleton.
“We just want to make people smile,” Peden said, adding that her teenage son loves seeing their spooky creations go viral. “It’s Halloween — it’s supposed to be a little scary.”
