Fire Safety & Burn Prevention

In Alberta, there are an average of 65 hospital admissions each year that happen to children related to fire and burns.¹

Of these hospital admissions, 51% are related to hot liquids, including beverages. Additionally, there are an average of 2,229 emergency department visits among children due to burns each year. Serious burn injuries can occur in a number of ways, including contact with fire / flame, contact with hot liquids such as hot water, drinks, or oils, or contact with hot steam. Burns can also occur by touching hot appliances that are commonly found in and around the home, such as stoves / ovens, clothing irons, kettles, and curling irons. Other items, such as radiators and space heaters, also pose a risk of burns to children.

In addition, it is important that every family in Alberta have a household fire escape plan. Developing and practicing a household fire escape plan is an important way that families can protect themselves from serious injury or loss of a loved one as a result of a fire.

Despite the risks of fire and burns, there are things adults, parents and caregivers can do to help keep kids safe. Key strategies to protect children from burns include the following:

1. Install a smoke alarm on every floor of their homes. A smoke alarm should be located in or near every bedroom or sleeping area. Smoke alarms should be tested every month.

2. Teach children what to do if a piece of their clothing catches on fire using Stop, Drop, Cover and Roll.

a. If a piece of a child’s clothing catches on fire, they should Stop where they are, Drop to the ground, Cover their face with their hands, and Roll until the flames are put out. It is important for the child to cover their face with their hands - this will protect their face from the flames, and will help stop them from breathing in smoke, which can be harmful. Once the flames have been put out, the child can call an adult for help.

3. Upon hearing a fire alarm / smoke alarm, everyone must immediately evacuate and call 911.

a. Once they get outside, they must stay outside until a firefighter indicates it is safe to go back in.

4. Children should be involved with their families / household members in designing a fire escape plan so that everybody in the home knows what to do in the event of a fire.

a. Parents should do a walk-through home tour with their children as part of their fire escape plan.
b. The fire escape plan should also include a floor plan of the home, mapping at least two escape routes for each room. One exit can be through a door, and another can be through a window (if the window is on ground-level). Adults in the home should make sure that children can open all of the doors and windows to escape in the event of a fire.
c. If children live in a high-rise building, explain to them to only use the stairs as part of their escape route. They may get trapped in the elevator, or exit on a floor where there is a fire burning, so it is important to always take the stairs.
d. If the exit is blocked by smoke or fire, teach children to crawl on their hands and knees to escape the building.
e. Pick a safe place to meet as part of the fire escape plan. This place should be easy to get to, and be a safe distance from the home.
f. Teach children to tell an adult if they smell / see smoke or fire. If children need to report a fire, walk them through what to expect when they phone 911. Teach children that if they phone 911, they will need to share the following information:

i. The kind of emergency
ii. Their name
iii. The location of the emergency
iv. The phone number that they are calling from

g. Explain to children that if they phone 911, the fire department should be the one to end the call. Always stay on the line until the dispatcher ends the call.

5. Learn to practice safe behaviours around hot items and hot liquids. Adults should keep a 1 metre (3 feet) no-child zone around things that are hot or can get hot.

a. Make sure to keep at least 1 metre (3 feet) away from heating appliances, like radiators, space heaters, and gas fireplaces. This also applies to items that could burn, like bedding, table cloths, furniture, and walls.
b. Heating appliances are not toys. Children should always be supervised around heating appliances like space heaters.
c. If using a space heater, make sure to turn it off if planning to take a nap or leave the room.
d. When using a wood burning fireplace, make sure to use a screen to prevent sparks from landing outside of the fireplace.
e. Heating systems should be inspected once a year, and cleaned by a professional, if needed.
f. Hot liquids can burn skin just like fire can.
g. Explain that matches and lighters are not toys. Adults may use matches or lighters for things like lighting candles or BBQs, but matches and lighters are not for children.
h. Playing with matches, lighters, can create fires that can get out of control very quickly. Fires can burn them and cause serious injury. Fires can also burn other important things, like their home or other property.
i. Matches and lighters should be locked up high and out of sight from young children. Children need to know what to do if they find matches or lighters. If a child finds matches or lighters, they should tell an adult.