Ten Easy Ways to Protect Kids from Fire & Burn Injuries

As the weather starts to turn colder, the risk of fires increases significantly. Nationwide, 412 children ages 14 and under died in 2006 due to unintentional fire- and burn-related injuries, and approximately 98,700 more were injured.

Approximately 80 percent of all fire-related deaths and injuries occur in the home, and young children are at a particularly high risk because they don’t perceive danger as readily and can lack the ability to escape a life-threatening burn situation.

Ten important fire and burn safety tips for parents:

Set your water heater thermostat to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Consider installing water faucets and shower heads containing anti-scald technology.

Keep matches, gasoline, lighters and all other flammable materials locked away and out of children’s reach and teach them never to touch these items.

Never leave a burning candle unattended. Place candles in a safe location away from combustible materials and where children or pets cannot tip them over.

Keep children away from cooking and heating appliances, and never leave the kitchen while you are cooking. Use back burners and turn pot handles to the back of the stove when cooking.

Place space heaters at least 3 feet from curtains, papers, furniture and other flammable materials. Always turn space heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.

Install smoke alarms on every level of the home, outside every sleeping area, and in each bedroom.

Test smoke alarms every month and change the batteries once a year, even if they are hard-wired. Smoke alarms are also available with 10-year lithium batteries.

Consider a home sprinkler system. The combination of smoke alarms and sprinklers can reduce your chances of dying in a fire by 82 percent.

To prepare for an emergency, parents should plan several escape routes out of their home and then designate a safe place to meet. Then practice those plans so that everyone knows exactly what to do.

Teach children never to go back into a burning building, and to call the fire department from a neighbor’s home or a cell phone outside.

“Stay fire smart! Don’t get burned” is the theme for this year’s Fire Prevention Week, and Safe Kids is joining the National Fire Protection Association to urge families to focus on burn prevention and awareness. NFPA has organized National Fire Prevention Week annually since 1922.

For more details visit www.firepreventionweek.org. For more information about fire safety for children and families, as well as helpful tips and videos, visit www.usa.safekids.org/fire/.

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