When you have children, safety should be a top priority! Here is what you need to know about fire safety for kids!

Statistics

  • Every day, at least one child dies from a home fire and another 293 children are injured from fires or burns.
  • Ninety percent of all fire-related deaths are due to home fires.
  • Home fires can spread rapidly and leave families as little as two minutes to escape after an alarm sounds.
  • Children under 5 years of age are at the greatest risk from home fire death and injury; their death rate is nearly twice the national average.
  • Each year, nearly 488 children ages 14 and under die in home fires, and another 116,600 children are injured from a fire/burn related incident.

Source: Safety Kids Worldwide

What to Know About Prevention

Make an escape plan

It is important to have a plan when there are children in your home. Children sometimes need help getting out of the house. They may not know how to escape or what to do unless an adult shows them.

  • Have a plan for young children who cannot get outside by themselves. You will need to wake babies and very young children and help them get out. In your plan, talk about who will help each child get out safely.
  • It is important to find two ways out of every room in your home, in case one exit is blocked or dangerous to use.
  • Choose a meeting place outside your home. Children should know what to do when they hear a smoke alarm and there is no adult around. Help them practice going to the outside meeting place. Teach them to never go back inside a building that is on fire.

Keep children safe from fire and burns

Some children are curious about fire. There are simple steps you can take to keep you and the people you love safer from fire and burns.

  • Keep children 3 feet away from anything that can get hot. Space heaters and stove-tops can cause terrible burns. Keep children at least 3 feet away from stoves, heaters or anything that gets hot.
  • Keep smoking materials locked up in a high place. Never leave cigarette lighters or matches where children can reach them.
  • Never play with lighters or matches when you are with your children. Children may try to do the same things they see you do.

Watch & Share Video

Quick Tips on Children Fire Safety

Here is a helpful graphic about keeping your children safe from fires. Click the image to enlarge. We encourage you to print and also share on social media.

Source for Content: United States Fire Administration