Fire safety

About smoke alarms

The best way to protect your child from fire is to install smoke detectors in every sleeping area and on every floor of your home. Check your smoke alarms every month and replace the batteries twice a year (a good way to remember to change the batteries is during the twice-yearly time change). Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years. Some smoke alarms, such as a 10-year lithium alarm, don't require an annual battery change.

Other types of alarms

Although the basic smoke alarm can detect most fires, you also may want to consider installing both an ionization alarm to better sense flaming fires and a photoelectric alarm to better sense slow, smoky fires.

Burn injury and incidence rates:

The following statistics are the latest available from the National SAFE KIDS Campaign and the United States Fire Administration (part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency):

Injury and death rates:

• The majority of fire-related deaths (75 percent) are caused by smoke inhalation of the toxic gases produced by fires. Actual flames and burns only account for about one-fourth of fire-related deaths and injuries.
• The majority of fires that kill or injure children are residential fires (85 percent).
• The majority of children ages 4 and under who are hospitalized for burn-related injuries suffer from scald burns (65 percent) or contact burns (20 percent).
• Fireworks-related injuries sent more than 3,800 children to hospital emergency rooms in 1997.
• Fires kill more than 600 children ages 14 and under each year and injure approximately 47,000 other children.
• Approximately 88,000 children ages 14 and under were treated at hospital emergency rooms for burn-related injuries  62,500 were thermal burns and 25,500 were scald burns.
• Hot tap water scald burns cause more deaths and hospitalizations than any other hot liquid burns.

Causes:

• The leading cause of home fires and related injuries is home-cooking equipment. However, most fire-related deaths are from residential fires ignited by smoking materials such as cigarettes.
• The leading cause of residential fire-related death and injury among children ages 9 and under is due to carelessness.
• The most common causes of product-related thermal burn injuries among children ages 14 and under are hair curlers, curling irons, room heaters, ovens and ranges, irons, gasoline, and fireworks.
• Most scald burns to children, especially small children between the ages of 6 months and 2 years, are caused by hot foods or liquids spilled in the kitchen, or other areas where food is prepared and served

Where and when:

• Over half of children ages 5 and under who die from home fires are asleep at the time of the fire. Another one-third of these children are too young to react appropriately.
• Deadly residential fires are most likely to start in a living or sleeping area.
• Residential fires and related deaths occur more often during cold-weather months, December through February, due to portable or area heating equipment.
• Most child play related home fires begin in a bedroom or living room where children are left unattended. The majority of these fires are started by children playing with matches or lighters.
• Most tap water scald burns occur in the bathroom, and tend to cover larger portions of the body more severely.
• Approximately 58 percent of all fireworks-related injuries are burns that usually occur to the hands, head, and eyes. The majority of fireworks-related injuries (75 percent) occur during July 4 celebrations.
• Electrical cords and extension cords cause almost two-thirds of electrical burn injuries to children ages 12 and under.
• Burns caused by the microwave are usually scald burns (95 percent) caused by spilled hot liquid or foods. Most microwave scald burns occur to the trunk or the face.
• Homes without working smoke alarms are more than twice as likely to have a fire. Two-thirds of residential fires that kill children occur in homes without a working smoke alarm.
   

Who:

• Children in homes without working smoke alarms are at greater risk of fire-related death and injury in the event of a fire.
• Children ages 5 and under are more than twice as likely to die in a fire than any other age group.
• Boys are at a higher risk of fire and burn-related death and injury than girls.
• More than one-third of children ages 6 to 14 reportedly have played with fire at least once. Boys are nearly twice as likely to have played with fire than girls.
• More than one-third of children ages 6 to 14 reportedly have played with fire at least once. Boys are nearly twice as likely to have played with fire than girls.
• Children from low-income families are at greater risk for fire-related death and injury. Low-income families tend to lack working smoke alarms, live in substandard housing, use alternative heating sources, and have economic constraints on providing adequate adult supervision.
• Children in rural areas are two and a half times more likely to die in a residential fire than children in large cities.
• African-American children are more than three times as likely to die in a fire than Caucasian children.
• Native American children are more than two times as likely to die in a fire than Caucasian children.
• Almost half of residential fire-related deaths among children ages 9 and under (40 percent) occur when the child is attempting to escape, is unable to act, or is acting irrationally.
• Children ages 4 and under and children with disabilities are at the greatest risk of burn-related death and injury, especially scald and contact burns.
• Boys, especially between the ages 10 and 14, are at the highest risk of fireworks-related injuries. Children ages 4 and under are at the highest risk for sparkler-related injuries.

Smoke alarm and sprinkler system statistics:

• By 2005, the majority of homes (96 percent) in the United States had at least one smoke alarm. However, only three-quarters of all homes had at least one working smoke alarm.
• Automatic sprinkler systems reduce the chance of dying in a residential fire by approximately 62 percent.
• Smoke alarms and sprinkler systems combined can reduce fire-related deaths by 82 percent and injuries by 46 percent.