Fire Prevention

Children playing with fire cause hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries each year. Preschoolers are most likely to start these fires, typically by playing with matches and lighters, and are most likely to die in them.

Facts & figures*

In 2002, children playing with fire started an estimated 13,900 structure fires that were reported to U.S. fire departments, causing an estimated 210 civilian deaths, 1,250 civilian injuries and $339 million in direct property damage.

• The figures for 2002 structure fires, civilian deaths and civilian injuries are the lowest ever recorded.
• Most of the people killed in child-playing fires are under 5, and such fires are the leading cause of fire deaths among preschoolers.
• Roughly two out of every three child-playing fires -- and three out of four associated deaths and injuries -- involve matches or lighters.
• The child-playing fire problem has been smaller, relative to population, in Canada and much smaller in Japan.
• Children also start fires by playing with candles, fireworks, stoves and cigarettes.
• Among fatal home fires started by children playing, seven out of 10 involve children igniting bedding, mattresses, upholstered furniture or clothing.
• Just over half of child-playing fires in the home start in a bedroom.
• Children who start fires may be children in crisis, with the fires acting as cries for help from stressful life experiences or abuse, according to studies of fire-setting behavior.
• As of 2002, deaths in child-playing home structure fires had declined by roughly half since 1994, when the child-resistant lighter standard went into effect.

 From NFPA's Children Playing with Fire, by John R. Hall, Jr., March 2005.

 Fire Safety Pages

  E.D.I.T.H.

In 1999, 3570 Americans died in home fires. That's almost 10 people a day. Tens of thousands more were injured. People can survive even major fires in their homes if they are alerted to the fire and get out quickly and stay out.

How to Survive

• Install and maintain smoke detectors
• Make an escape plan and practice it.
• Consider installing an automatic fire-sprinkler system.

Plan Your Escape

When a fire occurs, there's no time for planning. Sit down with your family today and make a step-by-step plan for escaping from a fire.

• Draw a floor-plan of your home, marking two ways out of every room - especially sleeping areas. Discuss the escape routes with every member of your household.
• Agree on a meeting place outside your home where every member of the household will gather after escaping a fire to wait for the fire department. This allows you to count heads and inform the fire department if anyone is trapped inside the burning building.
• Practice your escape plan at least twice a year. Have a fire drill in your home. Appoint someone to be monitor and have everyone participate. A fire drill is not a race. Get out quickly, but carefully.
• Make your exit drill realistic. Pretend that some exits are blocked by fire and practice alternative escape routes. Pretend that the lights are out and that some escape routes are filling with smoke.

Be Prepared

Make sure everyone in the household can unlock all doors and windows quickly, even in the dark. Windows or doors with security bars need to be equipped with quick-release devices and everyone in the household should know how to use them.

• If you live in an apartment building, use stairways to escape. Never use an elevator during a fire. It may stop between floors or take you to a floor where the fire is burning.
• If you live in a two-story house, and you must escape from a second-story window, be sure there is a safe way to reach the ground. Make special arrangements for children, older adults, and people with disabilities. People who have difficulty moving should have a phone in their sleeping area and, if possible, should sleep on the ground floor.
• Test doors before opening them. While kneeling or crouching at the door, reach up as high as you can and touch the door, the knob, and the space between the door and its frame with the back of your hand. If the door is hot, use another escape route. If the door is cool, open it with caution.
• If you are trapped, close all doors between you and the fire. Stuff the cracks around the doors to keep out smoke. Wait at a window and signal for help with a light-colored cloth or a flashlight. If there's a phone in the room, call the fire department and tell them exactly where you are.

Get Out Fast...

In case of fire, don't stop for anything. Do not try to rescue possessions or pets. Go directly to your meeting place and then call the fire department from a neighbor's phone or an alarm box. Every member of your household should know how to call the fire department.

Crawl low under smoke. Smoke contains deadly gases, and heat rises. During a fire, cleaner air will be near the floor. If you encounter smoke when using your primary exit, use your alternate escape plan. If you must exit through smoke, crawl on your hands and knees, keeping your head 12 to 24 inches (30 to 60 centimeters) above the floor.

...and Stay out

Once you are out of your home don't go back for any reason. If people are trapped, the firefighters have the best chance of rescuing them. The heat and smoke of a fire are overpowering. Firefighters have the training, experience, and protective equipment needed to enter burning buildings.

 Fire Extinguishers

Extinguishers Have Limits!

• Used properly, a portable fire extinguisher can save lives and property by putting out a small fire or containing it until the fire department arrives. Portable extinguishers for home use, however, are not designed to fight large or spreading fires. Even against small fires, they are useful only under certain conditions.

The operator must know how to use the extinguisher. There is no time to read directions during an emergency.

• The extinguisher must be within easy reach an in working order, fully charged.
• The operator must have a clear escape route that will not be blocked by fire.
• The extinguisher must match the type of fire being fought. Extinguishers that contain water are unsuitable for use on grease or electrical fires.
• The extinguisher must be large enough to put out the fire. Many portable extinguishers discharge completely in as few as 8 to 10 seconds.

Choosing Your Extinguisher

Fire extinguishers are tested by independent laboratories and labeled for the type and size of fire they can extinguish. Use these labels as a guide to purchase the kind of extinguisher that suits your needs.

Classes of Fires

There are three basic classes of fires. All fire extinguishers are labeled using standard symbols for the classes of fires they can put out. A red slash through any of the symbols tells you the extinguisher cannot be used on that class of fire. A missing symbol tells you only that the extinguisher has not been tested for a given class of fire.

The extinguisher must be appropriate for the type of fire being fought. If you use the wrong type of extinguisher, you can endanger yourself and make the fire worse. Multipurpose fire extinguishers marked ABC may be used on all three classes of fire. Remember, in some cases it may be dangerous to use any type of extinguisher. For instance, pressurized extinguishing agent could spread a grease pan fire rather than put it out.

Extinguisher Sizes

Portable extinguishers are also rated for the size of fire they can handle. This rating will appear on the label - for example, 2A:10B:C. The larger the numbers, the larger the fire that the extinguisher can put out, but higher-rated models are often heavier. Make sure you can hold and operate an extinguisher before you buy it.

Installation & Maintenance

Extinguishers should be installed in plain view, above the reach of children, near an escape route, and away from stoves and heating appliances. Extinguishers require routine care. Read your operator's manual to learn how to inspect your extinguisher. Follow manufacturer's instructions on maintenance. Rechargeable models must be serviced after every use. (Service companies are listed in the Yellow Pages under "Fire Extinguishers".) Disposable fire extinguishers can be used only once and must be replaced after use.

Remember The "PASS"-word

Keep your back to an unobstructed exit and stand six to eight feet away from the fire. Follow the four-step PASS procedure.

• Pull the pin: This unlocks the operating lever and allows you to discharge the extinguisher. Some extinguishers may have other level-release mechanisms.
• Aim low: Point the extinguisher nozzle (or hose) at the base of the fire.
• Squeeze the lever about the handle: This discharges the extinguishing agent. Releasing the lever will stop the discharge. (Some extinguishers have a button instead of a lever.
• Sweep from side to side: Moving carefully toward the fire, keep the extinguisher aimed at the base of the fire and sweep back and forth until the flames appear to be out. Watch the fire area. If the fire reignites, repeat the process.

Always be sure the fire department inspects the fire site, even if you think you've extinguished the fire.

Should You Fight The Fire?

Before you begin to fight a fire:

• Make sure everyone has left, or is leaving, the building.
• Make sure the fire department has been called.
• Make sure the fire is confined to a small area and is not spreading.
• Be sure you have an unobstructed escape route to which the fire will not spread.
• Be sure you have read the instructions and that you know how to use the extinguisher.

 It is reckless to fight a fire in any other circumstances. Instead, quickly leave and close off the area.

 10 Tips on Fire Safety

 1. Install Smoke Detectors

• Working Smoke Detectors can alert you to a fire in your home in time for you to escape, even if you are sleeping. Install smoke detectors on every level of your home, including the basement, and outside each sleeping area. If you sleep with the door closed, install one inside your sleeping area as well.
• Test Detectors every month, following the manufacturer's directions, and replace batteries once a year, or whenever a detector "chirps" to signal low battery power. Never "borrow" a smoke detector's battery for another use - a disabled detector can't save your life. Replace detectors that are more than 10 years old.

  2. Plan Your Escape From Fire

• If a Fire breaks out in your home, you have to get out fast. Prepare for a fire emergency by sitting down with your family and agreeing on an escape plan. Be sure that everyone knows at least two unobstructed exits - doors and windows - from every room. (If you live in an apartment building, do not include elevators in your escape plan.) Decide on a meeting place outside where everyone will meet after they escape. Have your entire household practice your escape plan at least twice a year.

 3. Keep An Eye On Smokers

• Careless smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths in North America. Smoking in bed or when you are drowsy could be deadly. Provide smokers with large, deep non-tip ashtrays and soak butts with water before discarding them. Before going to bed or leaving home after someone has been smoking, check under and around cushions and upholstered furniture for smoldering cigarettes.

 4. Cook Carefully

• Never leave cooking unattended. Keep cooking areas clear of combustibles and wear clothes with short, rolled-up or tight-fitting sleeves when you cook. Turn pot handles inward on the stove where you can't bump them and children can't grab them. Enforce a "Kid-Free Zone" three feet (one meter) around your kitchen stove. If grease catches fire in a pan, slide a lid over the pan to smother the flames and turn off the heat. Leave the lid on until cool.

 5. Give Space Heaters Space

• Keep portable heaters and space heaters at least three feet (one meter) from anything that can burn. Keep children and pets away from heaters, and never leave heaters on when you leave home or go to bed.

 6. Remember: Matches And Lighters Are Tools, Not Toys

• In a child's hand, matches and lighters can be deadly. Use only child-resistant lighters and store all matches and lighters up high, where small children can't see or reach them, preferably in a locked cabinet. Teach your children that matches and lighters are tools, not toys, and should be used only by adults or with adult supervision. Teach young children to tell a grown-up if they find matches or lighters; older children should bring matches or lighters to an adult immediately.

 7. Cool A Burn

• Run cool water over a burn for 10 to 15 minutes. Never put butter or any grease on a burn. If the burned skin blisters or is charred, see a doctor immediately. Never use ice.

 8. Use Electricity Safely

• If an electrical appliance smokes or has an unusual smell, unplug it immediately, then have it serviced before using it again. Replace any electrical cord that is cracked or frayed. Don't overload extension cords or run them under rugs. Don't' tamper with your fuse box or use improper-size fuses.

 9. Crawl Low Under Smoke

• During a fire, smoke and poisonous gases rise with the heat. The air is cleaner near the floor. If you encounter smoke while you are escaping from a fire, use an alternate escape route.

 10. Stop, Drop And Roll

• If your clothes catch fire, don't run. Stop where you are, drop to the ground, cover your face with your hands, and roll over and over to smother the flames.

  Preventing Burns

Burn Injuries in the Home can be Prevented

In the Kitchen

• Unattended cooking is the leading cause of kitchen fires. Stay nearby at all times when cooking, even with microwave ovens.
• Keep children and pets away from cooking food. Enforce a "kid-free zone" of 3 feet (1 meter) around your stove when cooking.
• Turn pot handles inward. Never leave them sticking out where they could be bumped or grabbed by a small child.
• Don't leave spoons or other utensils in pots while cooking.
• Turn burners and ovens off when they're not in use.
• Keep plenty of sturdy oven mitts or pot holders near your cooking area. Using a wet pot holder can result in a severe steam burn.
• Do not toss wet foods into deep-fat fryers or frying pans containing hot grease or oil. The violent reaction between the fat and water will splatter hot oil.
• Remove the lids from pots of cooking liquids carefully to prevent steam burns. Remember, steam is hotter than boiling water.
• If a pan of food catches fire, carefully slide a lid over the pan and turn off the burner. It is dangerous to attempt to carry the pan to the sink.
• In microwave ovens, use only containers designed for microwave use. Let microwave-cooked foods or liquids cool before carefully removing their covers.
• If you turn microwave foods during their cooking cycle, remember that the oven may be cool but the containers and food are very hot.

 Hot Water

• Adjust your water-heater's thermostat to no more than 120 degrees F (49 degrees C) to prevent scalds.
• Always turn on the cold water faucet first, then add hot water.

 Child Safety

• Keep matches and lighters out of children's reach -- up high, preferably in a locked cabinet. Use only child-resistant lighters.
• Do not allow children to play near wood stove or fireplace fires or around working space heaters.
• Cover unused wall outlets with safety caps and replace all damaged, frayed, or brittle electrical cords.
• Do not leave hot irons unattended.
• Do not leave barbecue grills unattended, and supervise children's cookout activities, such as toasting marshmallows.
• Teach your children that steam radiators, stove burners, irons, and other familiar household objects are sometimes hot and can burn them.
• Test bath water by carefully circulating hand and lower arm through it before putting children in the bathtub. Provide constant supervision while bathing children.

 Types of Burns

• Flame burns, caused by direct contact with fire.
• Radiation burns, caused by close exposure to fire or high heat.
• Scalds, caused by hot liquids or steam.
• Contact burns, the result of touching hot objects.
• Chemical burns, caused by contact with corrosive chemicals, such as battery acid.
• Electrical burns, caused by contact with live electrical wires.
• Ultraviolet burns, caused by overexposure to sun or to sun lamps.

 A matter of degrees

•  First-degree burns are minor and heal quickly. Symptoms: reddened skin; tender and sore.
• Second-degree burns are serious injuries and require immediate first aid and professional medical treatment. Symptoms: blistered skin; very painful.
• Third-degree burns are severe injuries and require immediate professional medical treatment. Symptoms: white, brown, or charred tissue; often surrounded by blistered areas; little or no pain at first.

 If your clothing catches fire: Stop, drop, and roll

1. STOP: Don't run
2. DROP: Drop immediately to the floor.
3. ROLL: Cover your face with your hands and roll over and over to smother the flames.

 First Aid for Burns

• Cool the burn: For first- and second-degree burns, cool the burned area -- preferably with cool running water for 10 to 15 minutes. This lowers the skin temperature, which stops the burning process, numbs the pain, and prevents or reduces swelling. Third-degree burns require immediate medical attention.
• Remove burned clothing: Lay the victim flat on his or her back. Burned clothing may be stuck to the victim's skin. Unless material is on fire or smoldering, do not attempt to remove it. Remove jewelry or tight-fitting clothing from around burned areas before swelling begins and, if possible, elevate the injured areas.
• Cover the burn: After a first- or second-degree burn has been cooled, apply a clean, dry dressing to the burned area. Don't apply butter or any other grease (including medicated ointments) on a burn. Grease holds in heat, which could make the injury worse.
• Don't break blisters: This could allow germs to enter the wound.
• Treat for shock: To reduce the risk of shock, keep the victim's body temperature normal. Cover unburned areas with a dry blanket.

  Smoke Alarms

 It's a Fact, They Save Lives

The majority of fatal home fires happen at night, when people are asleep. Contrary to popular belief, the smell of smoke may not wake a sleeping person. The poisonous gases and smoke produced by a fire can numb the senses and put you into a deeper sleep. Inexpensive household smoke detectors sound an alarm, alerting you to a fire. By giving you time to escape, smoke detectors cut your risk of dying in a home fire nearly in half. Smoke detectors save so many lives most states have laws requiring them in private homes.

Choosing a Detector

Be sure that the smoke detectors you buy carry the label of an independent testing laboratory. Several types of detectors are available. Some run on batteries, others on household current. Some detect smoke using an "ionization" sensor, others use a "photoelectric" detection system. All approved smoke detectors, regardless of the type, will offer adequate protection provided they are installed and maintained properly.

Is One Enough?

Every home should have a smoke detector outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. The National Fire Alarm Code, developed by NFPA, requires a smoke detector in each sleeping room for new construction. On floors without bedrooms, detectors should be installed in or near living areas, such as dens, living rooms, or family rooms. Be sure everyone sleeping in your home can hear your smoke detector's alarms. If any residents are hearing-impaired or sleep with bedroom doors closed, install additional detectors inside sleeping areas as well. There are special smoke detectors for the hearing impaired; these flash a light in addition to sounding an audible alarm. For extra protection, NFPA suggests installing detectors in dining rooms, furnace rooms, utility rooms, and hallways. Smoke detectors are not recommended for kitchens, bathrooms, or garages - where cooking fumes, steam or exhaust fumes could set off false alarms - or for attics and other unheated spaces where humidity and temperature changes might affect a detector's operation.

Where To Install

Because smoke rises, mount detectors high on a wall or on the ceiling. Wall-mounted units should be mounted so that the top of the detector is 4 to 12 inches (10 to 30 cm) from the ceiling. A ceiling-mounted detector should be attached at least four inches (10 cm) from the nearest wall. In a room with a pitched ceiling, mount the detector at or near the ceiling's highest point. In stairways with no doors at the top or bottom, position smoke detectors anywhere in the path of smoke moving up the stairs. But always position smoke detectors at the bottom of closed stairways, such as those leading to the basement, because dead air trapped near the door at the top of a stairway could prevent smoke from reaching a detector located at the top. Don't install a smoke detector too near a window, door, or forced-air register where drafts could interfere with the detector's operation.

Installation

Most battery-powered smoke detectors and detectors that plug into wall outlets can be installed using only a drill and a screwdriver, by following the manufacturer's instructions. Plug-in detectors must have restraining devices so they cannot be unplugged by accident. Detectors can also be hard-wired into a building's electrical system. Hard-wired detectors should be installed by a qualified electrician. Never connect a smoke detector to a circuit that can be turned off by a wall switch.

False Alarms

Cooking vapors and steam sometimes set off a smoke detector. To correct this, try moving the detector away from the kitchen or bathroom, or install an exhaust fan. Cleaning you detector regularly, according to the manufacturer's instructions, may also help. If "nuisance alarms" persist, do not disable the detector. Replace the detector.

 Maintenance

Only a functioning smoke detector can protect you. Never disable a detector by "borrowing" its battery for another use. Following the manufacturer's instructions, test all your smoke detectors monthly and install new batteries at least once a year. A good reminder is when you change your clocks in the spring or fall: change your clock, change your battery. Clean your smoke detectors using a vacuum cleaner without removing the detector's cover. Never paint a smoke detector. Smoke detectors don't last forever. Replace any smoke detector that is more than 10 years old.

Plan And Practice

• Make sure everyone is familiar with the sound of the detectors alarm.
• Plan escape routes. Know at least two ways out of each room. Agree on a meeting place outside your home where all residents will gather after they escape. Practice your escape plan at least twice a year.
• Remove obstructions from doors and windows needed for escape.
• Make sure everyone in the household can unlock doors and windows quickly, even in the dark. Windows or doors with security bars should be equipped with quick-release devices and everyone in the household should know how to use them.
• When an alarm sounds, leave immediately. Go directly to your outside meeting place and call the fire department.
• Once you're out, stay out. Never return to a burning building.

  Teaching Preschoolers

 CHILDREN AT RISK

 Tragically, children five years of age and younger are more than twice as likely to die in fires as are older children and adults. Most fire fatalities involving preschool children fall into four categories:

• Fires that preschool children start.
• Fires started by heating or electrical systems equipment.
• Fires caused by the careless use of smoking materials.
• Fires that are set intentionally (arson fires).

Preschool and kindergarten teachers and parents can make an important difference by teaching fire safety in a way that young children can understand. It's a proven fact that providing these lessons early can save lives. To work, a preschool fire safety program should involve both the children and their parents. Through the activities described in this brochure, young children can encourage the adults in their households to be aware of home fire hazards and to know what to do if there is a fire.

Match and lighter safety

Each year, many fires are started by children playing with matches or lighters. Young children should learn that matches and lighters can get hot and hurt children and that they are for grown-ups only. Matches and lighters are tools, not toys. The message should be clear: Children should not touch matches or lighters. If they find them, they should tell a grown-up. Get the message to parents. Use only child-resistant lighters and store matches and lighters up high, preferably in a locked cabinet. Tell parents to remind guests who smoke to keep their matches and lighters with them while visiting.

Escaping from a fire

It's not uncommon for fire fighters to discover the bodies of children hiding in closets or under beds. In many cases, young children die in fires because they try to hide from smoke and flames. When talking with children about what to do in a fire, emphasize that they cannot hide from fire but that they can escape. Children need to learn that a smoke detector warns them of danger from fire and that when they hear the warning sound, they should get out of the building. At home and at school, children should know a proper fire escape plan. Hold frequent fire drills and encourage children and their parents to have a similar fire escape plan at home. An escape plan should include knowing two ways out of every room (in case a primary exit is blocked by smoke or flames) and being familiar with every possible exit from the home. Encourage families to decide on a meeting place outside where everyone in the household can gather after they've escaped so parents will know if anyone has been left inside. Children should learn the phrase, "Get out and stay out." Never go back into a burning building.

Crawl low under smoke

Teach preschoolers to use a different exit if they encounter smoke or flames during their escape from a fire. If they must escape through smoke, they should crawl on their hands and knees, keeping their heads about a foot (30 centimeters) above the floor. The air will be cleaner there.

Stop, drop, and roll

Even young children can learn this simple maneuver that could save their lives if their clothing catches fire. "Stop, drop, and roll" is easy and fun to practice in the classroom.

1. Stop where you are - don't run.
2. Drop to the ground.
3. Roll -- cover your face with your hands and roll over and over to smother the flames.

Activities for Preschoolers

• Identifying toys versus tools

• Crawling under smoke

•  Thinking ahead

• Taking the message home