Fire Safety/Burn Prevention

Key Facts

Each year, approximately 488 children ages 14 and under die in residential fires.  An average of 116,600 children are injured from a fire/burn-related incident each year.

Fires and burns are the third leading cause of accidental death among children aged 1-14 years.  Having a working smoke alarm reduces one's chances of dying in a fire by nearly half.

Scald burns, caused by hot liquids or steam, are more common types of burn-related injuries among young children, compared to contact burns, caused by direct contact with fire, which is more prevalent among older children.

Where, When and How

Children playing with fire account for 4 percent of home fires.  These fires cause 40 percent of home-related deaths among children under age 5.

During the cold weather months of December through March, home fires and home-related deaths are most likely to occur.

Smoking materials (e.g. cigarettes) are the leading cause of fire-related death and the fourth leading cause of fire-related injury in homes.

Home cooking equipment is the leading cause of injuries in residential fires.

The majority of scald burns children experience, especially in ages 6 months to 2 to years, are from hot foods and liquids spilled in the kitchen or wherever food if prepared and served.

Who

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.

Children living in rural areas have a dramatically higher risk of dying in a residential fire.  Death rates in rural communities are more than twice the rates in large cities and more than three times higher than rates in large towns and small cities.

Proven Interventions

On average, a $33 smoke alarm generates $940 in benefits to society.

Smoke alarms and sprinkler systems combined could reduce fire-related deaths by 82 percent and injuries by 46 percent.

Hop tap water scalds can be prevented by lowering the setting on water heater thermostats to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or below and by installing anti-scald devices in water faucets and shower heads.

Costs

Each year in the United States, $280 million in property is destroyed by children playing with fire.

The total annual cost of fire and burn-related deaths among children ages 14 and under is more than $2.6 billion.  Children ages 4 and under account for more than $1.4 billion of these costs.

Total charges for pediatric admissions to burn centers average $22,700 per case.

Protecting Your Family

A small fire can grow into a deadly one within minutes. To help prevent a tragedy, closely inspect your home to eliminate potential hazards. Prepare your home for an emergency, and teach your family about the dangers of fire and how to escape. If a child is coached properly ahead of time, he or she will have a better chance of surviving.

Eliminate potential hazards:

• Keep matches, lighters and other heat sources out of children's reach. Playing with matches and lighters is the leading cause of fire deaths for children ages 5 and under.
• Keep flammable items such as clothing, furniture, newspapers or magazines away from the fireplace, heater or radiator.
• Keep all portable heaters out of children’s reach.
• Avoid plugging several appliance cords into the same electrical socket.
• Replace old or frayed electrical wires and appliance cords, and keep them on top of, not beneath rugs.
• Store all flammable liquids such as gasoline outside of the home.

Prepare your home:

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and in every sleeping area. Consider installing both ionization alarms, which are better at sensing flaming fires, and photoelectric alarms, which are better at sensing slow, smoky fires.
• Test smoke alarms monthly. Maintain alarms by replacing batteries at least once a year, and replace alarms every 10 years. Plan and practice two escape routes out of each room of the house. It is important to have an alternate escape route in case one is blocked by fire. Fire drills should be practiced spontaneously throughout the year, as home fires and home fire-related deaths are more likely to occur during cold-weather months, December through February. 
• Keep furniture and other heavy objects out of the way of doors and windows, so they won’t block an escape.
• Designate an outside meeting place, so all members of the family can be accounted for quickly.

Teach safety:

Children should know the sound of the smoke alarm. When they hear it, teach them to:

• Crawl low under smoke. An estimated three-fourths of childhood fire deaths are caused by the smoke and toxic gases produced as a fire develops and spreads.
• Touch doors before opening them. If the door is hot, use an alternative exit.
• Never go back into a burning building. Children should be reminded not to stop or return for anything, such as a toy or to call 9-1-1. A call to 9-1-1 should be placed after leaving the premises.
• “Stop, drop and roll." Upon leaving the burning house or building, children whose clothes have caught on fire should immediately stop, drop to the ground and roll themselves back and forth quickly to extinguish the flames.
• Take children to your local fire station for a tour. Children will be able to see a firefighter in full gear and learn that he or she is someone who saves children – not someone to be afraid of or hide from.
• Also, be sure you’re not teaching your children bad habits.  Don’t let them see you smoke in bed or disconnect smoke alarm batteries!

Related Documents
Fire Safety Checklist - Spanish
Fire Safety Checklist - English
Fire Fact Sheet
Fire Safety Tips
Burn Fact Sheet
Burn Safety Tips
Home Fire Safety Checklist
Fire Escape Checklist
Home Fire Escape Plan

Related Links

U.S. Fire Administration
National Fire Protection Association
Consumer Product Safety Commission
International Association of Fire Chiefs

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Where in my home should I put the smoke alarm?

Install smoke alarms in every sleeping area and on every level of your home. Central locations such as the living room, the top of the stairwell and the outside bedroom doors are good places.

2. How often should I test and replace my smoke alarm?

Test smoke alarms once a month and replace batteries at least once a year. The alarm itself should be replaced every 10 years.

Smoke Alarm and Carbon Monoxide Detector Distribution Program

The Gainesville Fire Department and Hall County Fire Services have teamed up with Safe Kids Gainesville/Hall County to provide smoke alarms and carbon monoxide protectors to low-income families with children.  City residents should call the Gainesville Fire Department at (770) 534-3612 and Hall County residents should call Hall County Fire Services at (770) 531-6838.

David Stringer of the Gainesville Fire Department installs a smoke alarm in a resident's home.

Lt. Beverley Walker of Hall County Fire Services at a community health fair at the Georgia Mountain Center.

Camp Lifesavers, sponsored by Hall County Fire Services.

Camp Lifesavers, sponsored by Hall County Fire Services.

Troy Bennett and David Stringer during a Safe Kids Week program at Gainesville Elementary.

Jerome Yarbrough during a Safe Kids Week program at Chicopee Woods Elementary.

Members of the Gainesville Fire Department and Hall County Fire Services participating in a program during Safe Kids Week.

Lt. Beverley Walker teaches the importance of a home escape plan to students at Gainesville Elementary.

Safe Kids Program
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