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Children and Home Fires
Media stories can save lives! A news story about a residential fire provides a valuable opportunity to give your community a safety message during a teachable moment. Drop in these prevention tips and facts, and you just might save a life.
All U.S. homes should have working smoke alarms.
Fires can be prevented. A few easy steps can save your life!
- Watch young children closely. Never leave them home alone, even for a few minutes.
- Keep matches and lighters locked up, away from children.
- Teach children to tell you if they find matches or lighters.
- Make sure your children know the sound of your smoke alarm.
- Make and practice a family escape plan with your children.
- Hold a late-night fire drill to see how your children react. If they don't wake up or are too sleepy to follow the escape plan, add to your plan waking up and helping the children.
- Teach children never to hide if there's a fire - but to get out and stay out.
- Dress your children in snug-fitting or fire-resistant pajamas.
- Show your children how to stop, drop, and roll if their clothes catch fire.
Children and Home Fires Facts
- Children make up 15%-20% of all fire deaths.
- Children younger than 5 are at greatest risk of fire deaths and injuries, with a fire death rate more than twice the national average.
- Two thirds of fires that kill children younger than 5 are in homes that do not have a smoke alarm.
- Almost 55% of children ages 5 and under who die from home fires are asleep at the time.
- Nearly one third of children who die in fires are too young to react appropriately.
- Children set about 8,000 home fires each year.