Fire Safety
What do I need to know about kids and fire?
- Children make up 15-20% of all fire deaths [1].
- Every year kids set over 35,000 fires. About 8,000 of those are set in homes [1].
- Children as young as age two can strike a match and start a fire.
- Most child fire-play incidents involve matches or lighters [2], so keep these locked up and out of reach of children.
- For more stats visit the United States Fire Administration’s fire statistics page.
Never leave children alone and unsupervised.
What do I need to know about smoke alarms (detectors)?
- You should install at least one smoke detector on every level of your house.
- Kitchens, the tops of stairwells, and halls outside bedrooms are strategic locations.
- They are available at hardware stores and discount stores.
- They are not expensive.
- Having working smoke alarms in your home can double your chances of surviving a fire.
- Regularly vacuum above and around smoke alarms to keep them free of dust.
- Replace batteries at least every year.
- Test smoke alarms periodically.
- Replace smoke alarms after 10 years or as the manufacturer recommends.
- What you need to know about smoke alarms from the US Fire Administration.
- Smoke alarms can save your life—this brochure from the CPSC has diagrams that show the best places to install smoke alarms.
- In Spanish: Los detectores de humo pueden salvarle la vida.
What should I teach my children about fire safety and what to do in case of a fire?
Here are some important things to talk about, teach and practice with your kids::
- Talk about and practice your home fire escape plan with your children.
- Do not play with matches, candles, or lighters.
- Fire is FAST, HOT, DARK AND DEADLY!
- Do not hide from firefighters—teach your kids what they look like and sound like with their oxygen masks on. Here's a story with pictures of a firefighter putting on all his gear to read with your kids: Firefighters are My Friends.
- Show kids how to crawl low on the floor, below the smoke.
- If there is a fire in the house, get out and stay out.
- Stop, drop and roll if clothes catch fire.
- Do not pick up matches or lighters they find, instead, tell an adult about them immediately.
- Do not go too near wood stoves, radiators, heaters and fireplaces—clothes can catch fire.
- Do not put anything on, or drop anything into radiators or heaters.
- Cook only with permission and supervision.
- Never play with electrical cords or electrical sockets.
- Get help from an adult with plugging things into wall sockets.
- Practice fire safety skills regularly with your kids.
- Visit the United States Fire Administration's Kids' Page with your child to play on the Web and learn more about fire safety.
What should I do if my child has set a fire?
There are many reasons kids might set fires—sometimes it’s a cry for help, or a sign or a sign of serious problems. However, kids usually start fires simply out of curiosity or by accident. If your child has played with fire, it’s probably a good idea to talk to your pediatrician about making sure there’s not an underlying problem. Different kinds of fire-setting require different treatments.
- Find out more about stopping young fire-starters.
- Arson Awareness Week is in May.
Where can I get more information?
- Go through your home with Your Home Fire Safety Checklist to make sure you are doing all you can to prevent tragedy.
- Fire/Burn Injury Prevention—Find out all about household safety, gasoline safety, preventing scald burns and safe sleepwear from the University of Michigan Trauma Burn Center.
- The UM Trauma Burn Center offers many wonderful community outreach programs, including a fire injury prevention program for young people.
- Be prepared. See these tips on burn first aid.
- The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) provides public education, training, technology and data initiatives to promote fire safety.
- USFA en Español
- The National Fire Protection Association is an international nonprofit and an authority on fire, electrical, and building safety.
- FireSafety.gov is a Federal Web portal with listings of fire safety resources from a number of government agencies.
- SmokeyBear.com offers information about preventing wildfires and has a kids’ section.
- Fire Safety publications from the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Written and compiled by Kyla Boyse, RN.
Reviewed by faculty and staff at the University of Michigan.
Updated April 2010
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U-M Health System Related Sites:
U-M Trauma Burn Center
U-M Pediatrics
