Fire Safety for Kids: Fire Prevention
It was an honest mistake.
No one told my Grandma’s house cleaner that my Grandpa had set the pilot light in the floor furnace for winter. She vacuumed, and then placed the matching carpet piece over the furnace grate, just as she had done all summer.
She locked the door as she left because my Mom’s family had gone away for the weekend… and who wouldn’t want to come home to a nice, clean house? Amiright?
But at 10:30 pm the phone rang in the cabin where they were staying. They wouldn’t be coming home to a nice, clean house after all. My Mom, then only 9 years old, heard the adults say that the fire department was doing everything possible to save their burning home.
Even as a grownup, the way my Mom would retell this story was chilling. A simple, preventable mistake changed the course of their lives. And, boy, am I glad that their family wasn’t home that night, or else I might not exist!
October, the anniversary month of this accident, also happens to be Fire Safety Month. It’s a great chance to talk with your kids about fire prevention and safety rules that can keep this from happening to you.
Smart Kids 101 HQ is in Tennessee, a state with one of the highest fire death rates in the nation. What’s up with that?! Unfortunately, many of the victims are children. But the solution is simple — talk with your kids!
Teaching Fire Prevention
Discussing fire safety with your kids doesn’t have to be scary. We have an awesome program called Safe Kids 101, and it covers safety of all kinds, including fire safety! We want to share our top three step to teach fire prevention with you today.
Fire Prevention Tip #1: Safe Kids Need to be Aware
A great first step is to teach your kids what dangers can cause a house fire:
- space heaters left on, unattended
- overloaded extension cords
- burning candles placed too close to curtains
- light bulbs touching flammable materials
- a pot “not watched” on a burner
You may wish to walk with your family from room to room, looking for possible safety hazards. If you find one, discuss why it’s dangerous and what can be done to correct it.
Fire Prevention Tip #2: Smoke Detectors are Key to Fire Safety
A recent study by the National Fire Protections Association states that about a third of fire deaths occurred in homes without smoke detectors and another quarter occurred in homes with non-working smoke detectors. That’s about half of the fire-related deaths in the U.S. that might be prevented with the simple addition and proper use of smoke detectors!
Here’s what you’re looking for:
- at least 1 smoke detector on each level of the house
- a smoke detector in each bedroom
- test the smoke detectors every month (Set a reminder alert in your phone!)
- replace the batteries once a year (Pick a holiday or family member’s birthday so you don’t forget. Nothing says “happy birthday” like replacing the smoke detector batteries!)
Fire Prevention Tip #3: Continue the Conversation
Prevention is the first step, but there’s so much more for kids to know about having an evacuation plan, how to fight a small fire, and how to exit a burning building safely.
Make it super-easy on yourself and send your child to a Safe Kids 101 class. Not one being offered in your area? Maybe you’re ready to become a Smart Kids 101 Kids’ Life Skills Trainer! You could teach Safe Kids 101 to your kids and other children in your community — and make a little money, too.
The volunteer fire department in my Mom’s small town kept the fire from completely destroying their home. While the damage was extensive, they were thankful to be alive.
We care about you! Please make sure your family stays safe by taking care of these fire safety topics now.
(We linked up this post at Teach Me Tuesday.)
READ NEXT: Fire Safety for Kids: Candle Safety
About Aubrey Hunt
Before hopping on the crazy ride we call motherhood, I studied engineering and taught math and science to middle and high school students. Now, perhaps like you, I fill my days singing The Itsy Bitsy Spider and praying my preschooler will eat a vegetable — any vegetable!
22 thoughts on “Fire Safety for Kids: Fire Prevention”
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What a great post! I know I’m guilty of slacking on fire safety when things get too busy…which is crazy because I live in an old house with old outlets! Thank you for the reminder to be always diligent!
You’re welcome! Stay safe! 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this important information with us at the #SHINEbloghop. What a great resource for parents!
You’re welcome! Thanks for stopping by.
This is a really helpful list and great for anyone who needs to have a chat with their kiddos about fire safety.
Thanks! That’s what I was hoping for. Have a great day!
House fires are frightening. My parents lost their house when they were away for a weekend. The fire inspector said it was so fast, they wouldn’t have had time to get out! Thank you for reminding us about the dangers of house fires and the importance of being prepared.
Wow. That’s unbelievable. So glad they weren’t home and were safe… but I can’t imagine how devastating that must have been. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing these tips. Sometimes we want to avoid the hard topics out of fear of frightening our children but it is so much worse to leave it. It’s better to prepare them and help them prevent accidents, and know how to react if they do happen.
That’s what I think, too. Glad I’m not the only one! Thanks for stopping by.
Great tips! Fire prevention is so important as is what to do if I fire should start. It is very tragic when we hear of news about fires occurring especially when lives are taken.
Thank you! I agree that both sides are important to know — this post only covers the prevention, but our Safe Kids 101 program goes into it all! 🙂
What a great and informative post! It’s so important for kids to be informed so that hopefully, if something does happen, they know what to do instead of freezing in fear. We’ve gone on field trips to the fire station and one of the things the fire fighters always do is try on all their gear so the kids see them in it. Then if they’re ever in a fire and see the guy in the mask coming, they know it’s a person trying to save them, not something to hide from.
Yes! I’ve heard that is SO important. They’ve done that with my kids’ school trips, too, and I’m always so grateful. I never would have known that kids can be afraid of the fire fighters in full gear, but it kinda makes sense. Thanks for mentioning that! 🙂
When I was in elementary school the firefighters used to bring a little mobile home that was a fire simulator & taught you how to get low & out of the smoke. I don’t know what programs they have in schools now but that was my favorite!
Oh, that sounds so cool! I’ve never heard of that before. Wonder if they still do it? I bet it would be really helpful to actually practice what to do.
GREAT post! Thanks for sharing your tips.
You’re so welcome! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
We have a discussion about this as a family every 6 months, at the same time we change the batteries in our fire detectors:) Thanks for linking with us at the Teach Me Tuesday Linky Party! I hope you’ll have the time to party with us this week, as well.
That is SO great that you make regular family time to talk about it. We are just getting to the age where my oldest understands this, and I want to be like you! 🙂 Thanks!
I tried to teach my 2-year-old what the smoke detector was and next thing I knew she was crying and telling me she was scared, what of I asked, fire she said 🙁 Ooops too much too soon I guess!
Oops! Haha. What a sweet little one you have! When my kids were that young, all I told them was that if they heard the loud beep they should come get me or Dad immediately. When they got a little older, maybe 4 years old (but it varies, depending on maturity and readiness level), we started talking about getting out of the house right away via a safe route and meeting in a certain “family meeting place.” Hope that helps! It’s good to communicate the importance without the fear. Such a fine line when it’s an urgent matter. Good luck!