Children & Fire

• Deaths due to children playing with fire are particularly preventable
• Each year about 300 people are killed and $280 million in property is destroyed in fires attributed to children playing with fire
• Having a working smoke alarm reduces one's chance of dying in a fire nearly one-half

Children & Fire Life-Saving Tips

Following these simple fire safety tips can increase your survival rate dramatically:

• Always dress children in pajamas that meet federal flammability standards, avoid dressing children for sleep in loose-fitting 100% cotton garments, such as oversized T-shirts
• Check under beds and in closets for burnt matches, evidence your child may be playing with fire
• Demonstrate how to stop, drop to the ground, and roll if clothes catch fire
• Develop and practice a home fire escape plan and designate a meeting place outside. Get out and stay out
• Familiarize children with the sound of your smoke alarm
• Install a smoke alarm on every level of your home, test smoke alarm batteries every month and change them at least once a year; consider installing a 10-year lithium battery-powered smoke alarm, which is sealed so it cannot be tampered with or opened
• Keep matches, lighters and other ignitables in a secured drawer or cabinet out of the reach of children
• Replace mattresses made prior to the 1973 Federal Mattress Flammability Standard
• Show children how to crawl low on the floor, below the smoke, to get out of the house and stay out
• Teach children not to hide from firefighters, but to get out quickly and call for help from another location
• Teach your children to tell you when they find matches and lighters