Fire and Burn Safety

Fire Safety Kids are at a greater risk of injury and death from residential fires because they have less control over their environment than adults and limited ability to react appropriately.

The youngest children are at greatest risk. Kids under 5 years of age are almost twice as likely to die in a fire as the rest of the population. Older kids are often at risk due to their own curiosity. Studies indicate that by age 12, half of all children have played with fire.

Burns are also a large risk. Scald burns, caused by hot liquids or steam, are more common types of burn-related injuries among young children. Contact burns, caused by direct contact with fire, is more prevalent among older children.

What You Can Do

Prevention begins with you! There are a few easy steps that you can take to make sure kids are safe in the home:

Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and outside of the sleeping areas. Test the alarms monthly and change the batteries once a year.

Keep matches and lighters out of reach of children.

Create and practice an escape plan with your family. Try to practice at night once your children are asleep so can you gauge whether they will react to the sound of the smoke alarm.