Curious Kids Set Fires

Teaching Children Fire Safety

Every day Americans experience the tragedy of fire. Each year more than 4,000 Americans die in fires and approximately 25,000 are injured. Figures show that each year about 300 people are killed and $272 million in property is destroyed in fires attributed to children playing with fire.

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) encourages parents to teach children at an early age about the dangers of playing with fire in an effort to prevent child injuries, fire deaths and fire setting behavior in the future. Below are some facts about children and fire safety.

Curious Kids Set Fires

Children under five are curious about fire. Often what begins as a natural exploration of the unknown can lead to tragedy.

• Children of all ages set over 100,000 fires annually. Approximately 20,000 of those fires are set in homes.
• Children make up 20% of all fire deaths.
• Over 30% of the fires that kill children are set by children playing with fire.
• At home, children usually play with fire in bedrooms, in closets and under beds. These are "secret" places where there are a lot of things that catch fire easily.
• Too often, child firesetters are not given proper guidance and supervision by parents and teachers. Consequently, they repeat their firesetting behavior.

Practice Fire Safety in Your Home

• Supervise young children closely. Do not leave them alone even for short periods of time.
• Keep matches and lighters in a secured drawer or cabinet.
• Have your children tell you when they find matches and lighters.
• Check under beds and in closets for burned matches, evidence your child may be playing with fire.