Fire safety and young children

When it comes to fire risks, extra care needs to be taken whenever there are young children around.

Children need to be taught about the dangers of fire and what to do if fire breaks out. This section tells you how.

Quick links on this page:

Keeping young children safe from fire
Teaching children about fire
Signs of 'fire play'
Hoax calls and fire setting
Getting help from the professionals
Practise your Fire Action Plan together
Useful resources and further information

Keeping young children safe from fire

Especially when children are very young, we need to take extra care to make sure they stay safe from fire risks. Here are some simple things you can do:

keep all lighters and matches well out of reach (and out of sight)
buy a flameless 'spark' lighter to light gas stoves and heaters with
put child-proof fireguards around open fires, heaters and stoves
secure any fireguards so that they can't be tipped or pulled over
never leave a child alone in a room with a naked flame, like a candle, oil lamp or burner
keep naked flames well out of reach of children
put child locks on cupboards where you keep flammable materials
keep portable heaters in a safe place - when they're in use and when they're being stored
put plug guards into sockets so children can't stick objects into the holes
unplug appliances that children could trip over
keep escape routes clear of toys and other obstructions

Teaching children about fire

Although we've evolved to recoil from strong heat, children simply don't understand how dangerous fire can be. Fortunately, most are eager to learn and learning about fire safety can be fun.

teach them that fire is not a toy
teach them never to play near fires or heaters or to leave their toys near them
teach them not to play with lighters or matches
teach them to always hand matches or lighters to a responsible adult if they find any
teach them what your smoke alarm sounds like and what it means - why not get them to check it once a week with you?
teach them what to do in a fire
most especially, children should know not to hide if a fire breaks out - those who come to rescue them may not be able to find them
some kids are scared when they see people in breathing apparatus - why not take them to meet your local Firefighters?

Signs of 'fire play'

Fire is fascinating to children. It's not a toy, however. Countless fires started in the name of play have raged out of control and damaged property - and lives.

Here are some signs to look out for that could indicate your child is playing with fire:

lighters or matches going missing or turning up in odd places
unexplained burns on carpets and soft furnishings
unexplained burns or blisters on your child or their clothes
piles of burnt papers, sticks etc, especially in quiet areas of the garden
unexplained smells of smoke on their clothes or in their hair

If you discover any of these things, it's important that you talk to your child about them. Try not to be angry, but instead explain the dangers in terms they can understand and teach them about fire safety.

You can also get confidential advice on what to do from your local fire and rescue service. Firefighters are used to dealing with this kind of situation and will be happy to help you.

Hoax calls and fire setting

Time and resources spent by Fire and Rescue services in dealing with deliberate fires and answering hoax calls puts lives at risk.

teach them that fire setting and hoax calls cost lives
make sure they understand that fire setting and hoax calling are illegal
encourage them to tell an adult if they think someone is fire setting or making hoax calls
impress upon them that hoax calls can be traced easily - they could get into lots of trouble
sometimes kids just want to see fire crews in action. Some fire services can arrange visits to fire stations - contact your local fire station to find out if this is possible in your are.

> read more on hoax calls and fire setting

Getting help from the experts

Kids love Firefighters and fire engines

If you can get a group of children together - with a playgroup, school class or even just with friends - your local Fire and Rescue Service will be happy to talk to them about fire safety.

For more information, contact your local Fire and Rescue Service.

Practise your Fire Action Plan together

Fire Action Plans save lives. Practicing them helps people not to panic and to get to safety quicker. And what could be more fun than getting out of a ground floor window with the rest of the family?!

Make a Fire action Plan now with our interactive Fire Action Planner

Useful resources and further information

For kids:

www.infoscotland.com/blazeaware
Packed with information and games for children (and advice for parents and teachers) Blaze Aware is our companion site dedicated to fire safety and children.

www.welephant.co.uk
The National Fire Safety Charity for Children site has stories, activities and safety advice

For adults:

www.capt.org.uk
Child Accident Prevention Trust

www.arsonpreventionbureau.org.uk
Arson Prevention Bureau

www.childrensfireandburntrust.org.uk
Children's Fire and Burn Trust

Blaze Aware

Blaze Aware - the fire safety site for children.

Packed with information and games for children, and advice for parents and teachers, Blaze Aware is our companion site on fire safety and children.