Fire Safety

Did You Know?

  • Eighty-two percent of all fire deaths occur in the home.
  • Each year about 300 people are killed and $280 million in property is destroyed in fires attributed to children playing with fire.
  • Deaths due to children playing with fire are particularly preventable.
  • Having a working smoke alarm reduces one's chance of dying in a fire nearly one-half.

Children & Fire Life Saving Tips

Following these simple fire safety tips can boost survival rates dramatically. Please share them with your readers because knowledge is the best fire protection.

  • Install a smoke alarm on every level of your home. Test smoke alarm batteries every month and change them at least once a year. Consider installing a 10-year lithium battery-powered smoke alarm, which is sealed so it cannot be tampered with or opened.
  • Keep matches, lighters and other ignitables in a secured drawer or cabinet out of the reach of children.
  • Teach your children to tell you when they find matches and lighters.
  • Always dress children in pajamas that meet federal flammability standards. Avoid dressing children for sleep in loose-fitting 100-percent cotton garments, such as oversized T-shirts.
  • Teach children not to hide from firefighters, but to get out quickly and call for help from another location.
  • Show children how to crawl low on the floor, below the smoke, to get out of the house and stay out.
  • Demonstrate how to stop, drop to the ground, and roll if clothes catch fire.
  • Develop and practice a home fire escape plan and designate a meeting place outside. Get out and stay out.
  • Familiarize children with the sound of your smoke alarm.
  • Replace mattresses made prior to the 1973 Federal Mattress Flammability Standard.
  • Check under beds and in closets for burnt matches, evidence your child may be playing with fire.
  • For more fire safety information for young children, visit www.usfaparents.govwww.usfaparents.gov.

For more information on the U.S. Fire Administration's Public Education Campaigns or to speak with a USFA spokesperson, please call 202-842-3600. Also visit www.usfa.fema.gov or www.firesafety.gov for additional information on fire safety.