Protecting Your Family From Fire
Protecting Your Family From
Fire
March 2008, US Fire Administration
Fire in the Home
American homes suffer an unwanted fire every 10
seconds, and every 60 seconds they suffer a fire serious enough to call
the fire department. Most
importantly, every three hours someone is
killed in a home fire—that’s more than 2,600 people in 2006 alone. Another
13,000 people are injured in
home fires in a typical year.
Protecting your family from fire requires advance
planning for what to do if fire strikes. This includes the use of
protective devices, usually smoke
alarms, to provide early warning of
fire, especially at night when they are most vulnerable. However,
depending on the size and layout of your home
and the characteristics
of your family, you may need to do more to assure their safety.
This information is written to help you decide what you must do
to protect your family from fire.
Dangers of House Fires
Most home fires occur in the kitchen while cooking
and are the leading cause of injuries from fire. However, they are often
extinguished with only
minor damage since a person is generally
present. Common causes of fires at night are carelessly discarded
cigarettes, sparks from fireplaces without
spark screens or glass
doors, and heating appliances left too close to furniture or other
combustibles. These fires can be particularly dangerous
because they
may smolder for a long period of time before being discovered by sleeping
residents.
Most victims of fire succumb to the smoke and
toxic gases and not to burns. Fire produces poisonous gases that can
spread rapidly and far from
the fire itself to claim victims who are
asleep and not even aware of the fire. Even if residents awaken, the
effects of exposure to these gases can
cloud their thinking and slow
their reactions so that they cannot make their escape. This is why it is
so crucial for you and your family to have sufficient
warning so that
you can all escape before your ability to think and move is impaired. In
addition, more than half of fatal fires in homes occur when
people are
asleep—this represents only a third of a 24-hour day. Therefore, any fire
protection system must be able to protect people who are asleep
in
their bedrooms when fire starts.
Furthermore, nearly half the people killed in home
fires each year are either preschool children or adults 65 years old or
older. Add people with
physical, mental, or emotional handicaps, and it
is clear that home fire protection must be designed for people with
limitations. That is why every fire
safety program should include
provisions for people with special needs.
Children and Fire
Children playing with matches or
lighters are a leading cause of home fires and one in which the children
and others present are often hurt. Children
have a natural curiosity
about fire and are tempted to play with matches or lighters left within
their reach. In many cases, children who start fires have
a history of
firesetting. Many fire departments offer counseling programs for juveniles
who set fires. If your child is setting fires, you should contact
your
local fire department for information about counseling before the
situation gets out of hand and your child gets hurt. Nevertheless, the
most important
thing you can do is to keep all matches and
lighters out of the sight and reach of children. Store them up
high, preferably in a locked cabinet.
Even though they have a natural curiosity about
fire, children may become frightened and confused in a fire and hide
rather than escape to safety;
especially if they started the fire.
Children are often found hiding in closets or under beds
where they feel safe. Therefore, it is crucial for your child’s
safety
that you hold fire drills in the home at least twice a year to let them
practice the right things to do in a fire emergency.
Clothing fires are a significant
cause of fire injuries to children (and to adults too). They set their
clothes on fire by getting too close to heat
sources such as open fires
or stoves, or when playing with matches or lighters. Here too, the best
defense is a respect for fire and training in what
to do if their
clothes do catch fire. Their natural reaction is to run—which will make
the situation worse. STOP, DROP, and ROLL is taught as
the correct
action and has saved many lives in clothing fires. The
moment clothes start to burn, stop where you are, drop to the ground,
cover your face with your
hands and roll repeatedly to smother the
flames.
Of course, young children should never be left
alone in the home. Even if they don’t play with fire, unattended children
can accidentally start a fire by
attempting to cook something or by
using a heater or electrical appliance in the wrong way. All too
often, tragic fires occur when young children are left
unattended, for
even short periods.
Children's Sleepwear
In the 1970’s, the hazards of accidental ignition
of sleepwear on young children were addressed through Federal legislation.
The Flammable Fabrics
Act required that children’s sleepwear (sizes
0-6X) be flame retardant. In a short time, this had a dramatic impact on
deaths and injuries, reducing
them by 95%.
Recently, an increase in injuries has been reported among children sleeping in garments classified as “daywear” such as tee shirts and jerseys. These garments look just like sleepwear but are not fire retardant. The only way to tell the difference is by careful examination of the garment label. Therefore, parents should be careful to buy only fire retardant sleepwear for their children in order to enjoy the fire safety benefits of these garments.
Fire and Older Adults
The risk of death from fire for Americans age 65
and over is two times greater than the risk for adults under 65, and
hospital stays of more than
40 days are common for older burn victims.
Thus, older people need to be especially careful with fire. People can
become victims of fire by falling
asleep smoking,
either in bed or in a favorite chair, especially after consuming alcohol
or taking medication. Ashtrays emptied before smoldering
materials
are completely out also start a number of fires in homes of
smokers.
Cooking is a major cause of fire injuries among
older persons when loose fitting clothing is ignited as
the wearer reaches over a hot burner, or slips
and falls onto the
stove.