Prevention is key when it comes to protecting life and property against the dangers of fire. Fires generally occur without warning, and many families are not prepared to react when an emergency arises. While basic essentials such as fire extinguishers and smoke alarms should be in every home, there are additional steps that all of us can take in order to be ready for the unthinkable.
Did you know that every 24 seconds, the US fire department responds to some kind of fire? Although there has been a decrease in the number of fire outbreaks since 1970, a few statistics are still troubling.
The NFPA reports various fire causes and some of the top ones include home grills and other cooking equipment fires, structure fires, heating equipment fires, electrical fires, fires that erupt due to upholstered furniture, children playing with fire, intentional fires and more. Click here for the Best-Selling Fire Safety Products.
June and July are the peak periods for grill fires as people host indoor and outdoor barbeques. The highest number of fire outbreaks is due to electrical failures, which cause more deaths than any other kind of fire.
Between the years 2007 and 2011, around 49,300 fires were reported, which were caused by children. 98% of these fires resulted in civilian deaths. 52% of these fires were created with a lighter to set mattresses, magazines or trash ablaze.
There are plenty of other scenarios that caused a full blown out fire and most of them ended with taking the lives of people. This is why it is important to educate your children on fire safety so that if they find themselves trapped in a fire, they have a fighting chance of survival.
Things like installing fire safety alarms, keeping flammable objects out of the reach of kids, monitoring your teens to spot any signs that they are developing a fondness for fire, and teaching them fire safety habits are all extremely important.
It only takes a moment to turn a life form into ashes. Even the smallest act of negligence on your part can take away your loved ones from you. So, be vigilant and teach your kids about the hazards of fire early on.
Warning Signs That Your Kid Likes to Play With Fire
Experts say that it’s completely natural for children to play with fire. Kain Karawahn, an artist who also conducts various workshops, encouraged children to light matches in his “Fire Workshop”. The aim of his workshop was to help children set safe fire, so that their fascination with this dangerous activity does not become a habit.
Even though his advice goes against the NFPA’s slogan “Learn Not to Burn,” he reasoned that his tactics would prevent children from lighting fires and then hiding when the blaze gets out of control.
If you think about it, this is a logical explanation that can help you get your troubled kid or teen under control. However, this tactic is only applicable if you spot the warning signs that tell you your kid likes to play with fire.
First, let’s take a look at how to spot these signs:
“Firesetting behavior” is a term that describes a kid’s urge to play with fire such as lighting matches to see the flame dance, quickly passing their finger through a candle’s burning wick for fun, and more. These little curiosities are what push fascination past the breaking point and that’s when you find your kid lighting small things like paper on fire.
Burn Holes in Clothes or Carpet
Once in a while, take a look around your kid’s room. If you are concerned about your child, do not see this as invasion of privacy. If you see any burn holes in the carpet or in their clothes, it means that your kid has been playing with fire in your absence.
Stash of Lighters and Matches in Their Cupboard
If you find any fire starting material or accessories in their drawers and cupboards then immediately confiscate them. They will then know that you are on to them, which will make the confrontation easier.
Smoke Smell in Your Kid’s Room
If your kid comes home smelling of ash, then they have been hanging out with the wrong company. It’s possible that external influences are forcing this habit out in the open.
Charred Paper in the Wastebasket
You are collecting the trash from every room and you find charred paper in your kid’s wastebasket. Make sure to check other wastebaskets too to find out if they have lit a fire in other rooms.
Burn Signs on the Windowsill
Sitting on the windowsill and lighting matches allows kids to hide the fact that they have been playing with fire. They can easily throw any charred paper into the garden, which will get swept away by the wind. However, the sparks from the match can leave black streaks on the windowsill so don’t forget to inspect this area.
Fascination With Fire
As mentioned earlier, if you see your kid playing with a burning candle or throwing papers in the fireplace and watching them burn, it means that they are curious and fascinated by the flames. Make sure to keep an eye on them during such situations and gauge their reactions.
All these signs point to your kid being a fire-setter. You cannot stop their behavior just by hiding the devices that create fire. While this is the first step you need to take, the most important one is explaining to them how dangerous fire can be. A fascination like this does not just end easily, which is why you need to get to the root cause of this problem.
Types of Fire-Setters
In order to understand why your kid has this fascination with fire, you need to dig a little deeper into their psyche to find out what motivates them. According to psychologists, there are different types of fire-setters. Identifying what kind of fire-setter they are can help you find the right treatment. Following are six types of fire-setters and treatments:
The Accidental Fire-Setter
This fire-setter is non-pathological and does not understand how dangerous and harmful fire play is. The age of an accidental fire setter is usually between 5 and 10 years old. The only way to make them understand is through intervention, which includes educating them on fire-safety, parent training and evaluation for ADHD.
The Delinquent Fire-Setter
This fire-setter comes off as empathic and does not harm others. However, they are at a rebellious stage in their life. Aged between 11 and 15 years old, their target is any kind of property they can cause damage to. They often show signs of aggression, which if not controlled, can lead extremely bad behavior in the later years. Intervention methods include empathy training, behavior management, treatment for depression and relaxation techniques.
The Cry-for-Help Fire-Setter
This fire-setter subconsciously or consciously lights things on fire, just to draw their parents’ attention. They are probably doing this because they are going through a stressful situation. Common underlying problems include ADHD, depression, toxic house environment, bullying at school etc. Here, cognitive-behavioral therapy can be used as intervention. Other methods include medication (prescribed), family therapy and treatment for depression.
The Cognitively Impaired Fire-Setter
Children who are developmentally disabled come under this type of fire-setter. They don’t have good judgment when it comes to protecting themselves. They don’t go for any kind of intentional harm but like to do significant property damage. Intervention methods include behavior management, intensive fire education and special education. It can be a little difficult for parents to use these intervention methods on their own, which is why it is better they seek professional help.
The Sociocultural Fire-Setter
Peer pressure tends to make children do dangerous things. They seek acceptance from people they idolize and if one of them happens to tell them to set something on fire, they do it immediately. You often see kids and teenagers doing this in religious fervor or during riots. Intervention methods include cognitive-behavioral therapy, traditional psychotherapy and family therapy.
Severely Disturbed
This fire-setter is the most dangerous because they have a deep fixation on fire. They exhibit psychotic and paranoid behavior to harm themselves. It’s possible that they might even try and kill themselves. Intervention methods include social skills training and intensive outpatient or inpatient cognitive-behavioral therapy. It’s important for parents to understand that they cannot coddle their kids if they have such suicidal tendencies.
Now that you know what signs to look for in your kid to determine if they are a fire setter, you will easily able to tackle the problem. Older children are harder to handle and therefore, instead of just sending them off to therapy, participate in the session and try to learn what brought on this fire-setting behavior.
Household Safety Tips – Preventing Burns and Fires
The first thing that comes into your mind when taking safety precautions for burns and fire is an alarm. With so many technological advances, alarms can identify any kind of smoke or scent and make you aware of the impending fire.
There’s no denying that installing a fire alarm can mean the difference between life and death. Most people install the alarm in their kitchen because that’s where fires usually start. However, if you have a kid in your home and you fear they might be a fire-setter, then you need to prepare every room accordingly.
Following is a detailed list of fire safety precautions divided into different categories for every room in the house:
General Fire Safety
- After installing smoke and fire alarms, check them once every month by sounding alarm to make sure the batteries are working
- Install three fire extinguishers in your home – one in the kitchen and one near the HVAC system is necessary. Learn how to use the fire extinguisher and then teach your kids
- Come up with an escape plan to know what to do and where to go if a fire ever breaks out in your house
- Before winter starts, call a professional and get your fireplace and chimney cleaned
- If you have been living in your current house for over a decade, then get the wiring system checked by a professional electrician
- Have fire drills at home and include your kids in it
- Kitchen
- Tell your kids that they are not to come near the stove whether the burners are turned on or off. Keep them at least 3 feet away whenever they are with you in the kitchen
- Make sure that there are no toys in the kitchen
- Turn the handles of pots and pans toward the stove’s back when you are cooking
- Avoid placing any kinds of mats near the stove
- Do not leave anything on the stove unattended
- Keep snacks such as cookies, cakes and drinks out of the reach of kids
- Do not hold your kid in your arms while cooking or carrying anything hot
- Unplug kitchen appliances once you are done using them. Don’t forget to roll the cord so that it’s far from reach
- Make sure your kid sleeps in clothes that are labeled flame-retardant. Such materials include treated cotton and polyester
- If your kid cannot sleep without a night light, make sure that it is far away from their bed and not on a surface where it can be knocked off easily
- If you use a vaporizer or humidifier, use the cool-mist model instead of the hot-steam one
- In winter, place the electric space heaters 3 feet away from kids. Moreover, make sure that the heater is nowhere near curtains, bed sheets or anything flammable
Kid’s Corner
Kids like to get into every nook and cranny and play with whatever they can get their hands on. Like the way you child-proof the house when your toddler starts to crawl, similarly, remove any object from their sight that might be used to create fire. A great way to do this is to look at every room from a kid’s point-of-view and remove all the fire hazards. Here’s what you need to do:
Keep all lighters and matches on top shelves where your kid cannot reach them
Use child-resistant lighters
Do not allow your kid to enter the kitchen if you are cooking a big meal and the stove is on
Do not allow your kid to use the microwave
Keep all the candles in a cupboard and refrain from lighting them in front of your kid
Bathroom
If you have a teenager in your house, then make sure that they don’t use any kind of electrical appliances such as a hair dryer near the sink
Do not allow your teenager to bathe with candles propped on the edge of a bathtub
Heating Safety
Appliances that are plugged into a socket 24/7 and offer heat should always be monitored closely.
When using space heaters, keep them at least 3 feet away from items which can burn such as rugs, furniture and drapes
Never leave a space heater unattended or in your kid’s room
Do not refuel heaters in front of your kid. They might try to do it themselves the next time the heater runs out of juice
Place a protective screen in front of the fireplace and make sure that your kid is always sitting 3 feet away from it
Show your kid and teenager how to use the fire extinguisher
Grilling
Often, fathers see grilling as a great way to bond with their kids. This would be great if your kid is a teenager and above 18 years of age. Avoid doing anything with your kid that involves fire or heat until they are mature enough to fully comprehend how dangerous fire is.
Do not let your kids near the fire grill
Always keep an eye on them to make sure that they don’t throw anything flammable on the grill
Don’t leave the grill unattended until the last of the embers have burned out
Electrical Safety
Do not allow your kid to plug in appliances
Do not allow your kid to play on the mobile phone while it’s charging
Check up on your kid at night to make sure that they haven’t slept with the headphones still in their ears
Tell your teenager to never tamper with the electrical fuse box that powers the house
These safety tips will help you fire-proof your house and make sure that even in your absence; they are not in any kind of danger.
Teaching the Drill – Escaping from Fire
Running a mock fire drill with your kids allows you to prepare them in case an actual fire breaks out. A few simple precautionary steps will give you the peace of mind that during a fire, your kids will know how to escape safely.
Nowadays, schools are making fire drills a priority so that in case of an emergency, kids do not create a pandemonium. When it comes to home fire drills, start by making an emergency plan. This plan should include the following points:
Clear a pathway with the fire extinguisher to get out of the line of fire, literally
Emergency exits to be used
A designated place for the family members to convene
Call 911 immediately once you are at a safe distance from the house
A fire drill gives you a fighting chance of survival and shows you how your kids will react in such a situation.
Let’s take a look at some safety tips on how to escape from fire that you can teach your kids:
The first thing they need to do when they hear the fire alarm go off is to shout out “FIRE” to alert the other members of the house
After hearing the fire alarm, they should immediately run out of the house. Under no circumstances are they to go back inside to grab their favorite toy or anything else. Fire spreads quite fast and without knowing where it started, they might get trapped
If in a room, they should touch the door handle with the back of their hand. If the handle is hot, it means the fire is burning right outside the room. In this situation, an alternative escape route should be adopted
The best secondary emergency exit is windows. However, if they are on the second floor, they will need a ladder to escape. For this reason, make sure that every bedroom has a safety ladder stashed in the closet
In case there’s no ladder in the room, they need to stop smoke from filling the room. A thick, wet cloth covering the bottom slit of the door will do the trick
They should open the window and sit on the ledge so that the firefighters can easily spot them
If the fire has spread all over the house and all the emergency exits are blocked, then they need to wet a towel or bed spread, wrap it around themselves and crawl on the floor to get out. Keeping low to the ground will offer better visibility and air to breathe
In case their clothes catch on fire, they need to stop, drop and roll
A great way to remind your kids about these fire safety tips is to quiz them and run a fire safety drill, which we will discuss in the end. Turn this into a lesson to make sure that your kids are prepared.
Fire is no joke and the wrong move can engulf them in flames. So, it’s important that you teach your kids these tips and explain how thinking on their feet and acting fast can save their lives.
Fire Safety Tips
Did you know that 40% of deaths that happen inside the house due to a fire are because of a lack of smoke alarms? A little beeping device that costs only a few hundred dollars not only protects you and your family but your entire house too! In fact, a fire alarm decreases the chances of you getting caught in the fire and dying by 50%.
And that’s why the first safety tip you need to work on is installing smoke alarms in the house, especially in the kitchen and basement.
However, your safety steps shouldn’t stop here. Yes, a fire alarm can help your family escape fire before it gets out of control but that doesn’t mean that you don’t teach your kids precautionary measures on how to escape from fire.
What if you have a toddler and have hired a babysitter to watch over him or her? Do they know about the fire safety tips on how to get out of the house with your kid safely? This is why every person in your home should be aware about what needs to be done in case of a fire emergency.
Following are fire safety tips for kids, teens and babysitters:
Fire Safety Tips for Kids
Kids between the ages of 3 and 6 are naturally curious. They want to know about everything and anything they come across. You might have heard the most popular question, “Where do babies come from?”
They say that curiosity killed the cat and in this case, fire is the culprit. Simply telling your kids that they need to stay away from a lighter or matches is not enough. You need to show them how fire can hurt them. The best way to do this is find a video online and show it to them. Make sure that the video is not too traumatic and has a strong message at the end.
Following are a few fire safety tips for kids:
Never leave lighters on the coffee table after smoking
Lock the matches, lighters and torches in a cupboard
After lighting a match, run it under water to extinguish the spark and then throw it in the bin
Tell your kids to always stop, drop and roll and never hide under the bed
Clothe your kids in fire retardant fabrics
Fire Safety Tips for Teens
Children in their teens are more knowledgeable when it comes to fire safety. However, this is the rebellious stage where they might start to exhibit fire-setting behavior as mentioned earlier. The same fire safety tips for kids apply to teens too. They simply need to be a little more cautious because at this age, they are allowed to use fire for cooking and other purposes.
Nevertheless, here a few tips that you can educate your teens with:
No talking or texting on the mobile phone while cooking. Limit all distractions
Teach them how to use the fire extinguisher so that they can safely put out a fire in your absence
No using candles in the bathroom
Don’t over-plug gadgets
Fire Safety Tips for Babysitters
If you and your spouse both work, then you probably hire a babysitter to watch over your kids when on weekend business trips or at a couple’s dinner. Even if your kids know what to do in case of a fire emergency, it’s important that you prepare the babysitter. After all, as the babysitter will be in charge, the kids will listen to them.
The first thing you need to do is tell the babysitter about your fire escape plan and then show them the location of the extinguisher. Next, give them a tour of the house and make sure you show them all the escape routes.
Here are a few guidelines for the babysitter:
The Escape Plan
If the main door’s locking mechanism is complex then show the babysitter how to open it
Tell the babysitter where the emergency ladder is placed so that they can get out easily if trapped on the top floor
Tell the babysitter that under no circumstances are they to deviate from the plan unless the emergency exits are engulfed in fire
The babysitter should not rely on the monitor. Instruct them to check on the sleeping kids after every 30 minutes
The babysitter should not cook anything. Prepare the meals in advance so that all they need is to be heated in the microwave
In case a fire breaks out, the babysitter should call for help immediately and remain on the phone
Emergency Information Sheet
The following list of contact information should be stuck on the refrigerator door with a magnet. Advise the babysitter to save the information in their mobile phone too.
Phone numbers for ambulance, fire and police (dialing 911 is equally effective but if you have a direct landline number, then help is more likely to arrive early)
The name and number of your family doctor
Poison control center number
Phone number of parents, closest neighbor and any relative living nearby
Address of your house
In a situation where the babysitter cannot reach the kids, they should call the neighbors for help immediately and then the fire department. Instead of endangering their life, they should wait in a safe area and let the professionals do their job.
Practicing Home Fire Drills
You are watching TV in the lounge area when suddenly your spouse shouts from the kitchen. You run to them and find the stove ablaze. The cabinets are burning too and the fire is slowly spreading. You pick up the fire extinguisher sitting beside the refrigerator and try to extinguish the flames. As the kitchen fills with smoke, you lose sight of the flames. While the fire in front of you has been put out, the fire in the back is making its way into the lounge area.
You are coughing uncontrollably when your spouse drags you out into the hall and you both run to the kids’ room to drag them out. The four of you make your way downstairs and see that the front door has now caught flames. There’s no way you can make it to the backyard door so you run upstairs again. You still have time as the fire hasn’t reached the first floor yet. However, the floor is hot to touch. You dial the fire department and report the fire. The upstairs guest bedroom is the farthest away from fire so you and your family lock yourself in there. The window in this room faces the main street, so you open it, sit on the ledge and call your neighbor. Out he comes running with a ladder and places it under the window. You lower your kids down carefully and then you and your spouse climb down.
You run to safety and wait for the firefighters to arrive.
There are too many things wrong with this scenario to count. First of all, the reason you found yourself in this situation was because there wasn’t a fire alarm installed in your house. Second, you shouldn’t have waited in the kitchen when it started to fill with smoke. Third, your spouse should have run out while you were putting out the fire and ushered the children to safety. And fourth, as mentioned earlier, you should have kept an emergency ladder in all the bedrooms.
Now that you have an idea about how fire spreads and what you need to do in such a situation, let’s take a look at a standard fire drill:
Steps to Follow in a Fire Drill
Step #1
The Assembly Point
Pick a spot where all family members should gather after escaping the fire
Give your kids strict instructions that when the fire alarm sounds, they need to drop everything and run out of the house
Step #2
Inspect the Smoke Alarms
Install a smoke alarm in every room of the house
Turn on the smoke alarm so that your kids know what it sounds like
Step #3
Running the Drill
Tell your kids to wait in their rooms while you get the things in place
If you have a kid under 6 years old, then tell your spouse to be with them
Standing in one of the rooms, sound the smoke alarm and start the timer
Once your kids reach the safe spot, note down how much time it took them (ideally, this shouldn’t be more than 2 minutes)
Call 911
Fire Drill Scenarios
Here are a couple of fun fire drill scenarios that you can run with your kids:
The Commercial Break
A commercial runs for about 1 minute to 2 minutes. Put on your kids’ favorite TV show and as soon as the commercial comes on, shout “FIRE.”
Challenge: The kids should reach the safety spot in under 2 minutes. If they do, it’s pizza for dinner.
Speed Walking
Your kids are in their bedroom and getting ready to sleep. This time, they have to speed walk from wherever they are to the safety spot.
Challenge: Complete this drill in 2 minutes and not a second more. If they do, they will get whatever they want for breakfast.
In the Dark
It’s midnight and everyone is sleeping. You sound the fire alarm and bang on your kids’ doors shouting there’s a fire.
Challenge: Get out of the house as fast as you can and reach the safe spot. Check the timer and note down how much time it took for everyone to exit the house. If it’s more than 5 minutes, then do the drill again. If you come close to 2 minutes, then ice cream after dinner.
Can I Stop My Kid From Playing With Fire?
Hiding matches in drawers and clothes smelling like smoke are classic fire-setting behaviors. Sadly, it’s common for kids to play with fire but curbing this behavior from the start can go a long way in shaping their future.
As parents, it is your job to tell and show them how dangerous fire can be. Following are a few ideas on how to do this:
Tell Them Why Fire Is Dangerous
Find pictures and videos on the internet that you feel won’t be too traumatizing for your kids. Show them this information so that they can fully comprehend how important it is that they don’t play with fire.
Be Responsible in Front of Them When Handling Fire
If you want your kids to follow fire safety rules then make sure that you are handling matches and lighters responsibly in front of them. For example, do not throw a burning match in the dustbin.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind – Hide Matches and Lighters
If they can’t get their hands on it, the temptation to play with fire will go away on its own.
Supervise Them Around Fire
When grilling or lighting a campfire, tell your kids to stay at least 1 foot away from the source. Another thing to keep in mind is if your kid is 4 feet tall, then make sure they stand at an equal distance away from the fire, so that they don’t fall in it.
Moreover, teach your kids not to throw sticks or papers into the fire. The roaring flames when something catches fire always fascinate kids. While there’s no harm in this if they are doing it from a distance, but allowing them to do this is excusing inappropriate fire play.
Teach Your Teens How to Safely Use a Lighter
As mentioned earlier, barbequing is a great parent and child bonding moment. If you are planning to teach your kids cooking skills, then show them how to add fuel to the grill without creating a blaze and how to light the stove on low heat.
If you feel that your kid won’t listen to you, then consult a professional and look for kid-friendly educational programs that teach fire safety in a fun way. Often parents try to run an intervention, which might backfire if your kid ends up feeling that you are ganging up on them. This is why it is important that you start teaching them about fire safety at the age of 3. Be actively involved in the drills you run so that they can see you are taking this seriously.
Campfire Safety Precautions
Camping and campfires go hand-in-hand. Telling spooky stories, roasting Sꞌmores and dipping them in chocolate, and stargazing are just some of the fun activities that every kid likes to do around a fire.
Out here in the wild, your kids are running high on adventure and with a campfire roaring in the middle, it’s important that you keep an eye on them. When sparks start flying, you never know where they will fall and ignite a fire.
You know this but what about your kids?
Following are a couple of campfire safety tips that you need to drill in your kids’ heads:
After lighting the campfire, create a circle around it with bricks so that your kids know not to go any further. Typically, this boundary should be at least 10 feet away from the fire
Make sure there are bushes nearby or branches hanging over the fire
Keep a shovel and bucket of water nearby so that the fire can be doused completely
Instruct your kids not to throw anything in the fire. Under no circumstances are they allowed to add wood into the fire
Instruct your kids to walk behind the chairs when the campfire is lit (this will prevent accidental trips into the fire)
Do not leave the campfire unattended and until the last embers have died after you have put it out
Do not allow the kids to sit on the bricks forming the circle. Their proximity to fire will make them hot, which can cause first-degree burns
Tell your kids that if their clothes catch fire, then stop, drop and roll
Since a campfire is not exactly lit in a safe environment, you need to monitor your kids at all times, especially the little ones.
Fire Safety Quiz for Children
Your older kids are probably aware of the “stop, drop and roll” directive. However, when it comes to the younger ones, you need to teach them the basics like what they should do if they see fire in the house, who they should call, where they need to go once out of the house, etc.
Following are two worksheets for kids that we have divided by age. After running the fire drill, print out these quizzes and test your kids on what they have learned.
Fire Safety Worksheet (For 6 to 11 Year Olds)
Name: ________ Age: ________
If there’s a fire in the house, should you stop and call 911 before getting out.
Yes
No
You should know _____ ways out of every room.
Multiple
Single
What should you do if your clothes catch fire?
Yell and run around the house
Scream until someone comes and helps
Stop, drop and roll
What should you do when you hear the smoke alarm go off?
Hide under the bed
Run to your parents
Run out of the house and to the safe spot
Smoke alarm batteries need to be replaced at least:
Every day
Once a week
Twice a year
Every week
When running a fire drill, you should be able to get out of the house and reach the safe spot in under:
10 minutes
3 minutes
5 minutes
7 minutes
Most home fires are caused by:
Hair dryers
Cooking accidents
Dragons
Birthday candles
Answers
Q1. No
Q2. Multiple
Q3. Stop, drop and roll
Q4. Run out of the house and to the safe spot
Q5. Twice a year
Q6. 3 minutes
Q7. Cooking accidents
Fire Safety Worksheet (12 Year Olds and Above)
Name: ________ Age: ________
Why is it important that you crawl on the floor when trying to get out of fire?
Smoke moves towards the floor, which makes crawling safe
Fire always catches the roof first
Smoke is less dangerous when you are on the ground
Smoke rises upwards, which is why the floor has clean air to breathe
After reaching the safe spot, what should you do?
Call 911
Go back inside the house to make sure that no one was left behind
Discuss who to call
Stay low on the ground
If a fire breaks out in the kitchen, what should you do?
Run and tell your parents what happened
Shout for your parents and stay standing in the kitchen
Use the fire extinguisher
Use any nearby lying cloth and use it to put out the fire
What should you do when you are trapped inside a room and fire is blazing outside?
Jump from the window
Try to find a way to open the door
Scream for your parents to come help you
Wet a piece of cloth and cover the bottom of the door
Should I take my chances and run through the fire if I see a clear path?
Yes. As long as the pathway is clear
Yes. Better to run than stay inside and get trapped
No. The path might seem clear but it will quickly fill with black smoke and suffocate you
Yes. I will take my chances
If the fire alarm goes off in the middle of the night, what should I do?
Tell my parents what’s happening
Get up and inspect where the fire is
Run out of the house to the safe spot
Grab my gadgets and other important things, and then run out of the house
Answers
Q1. Smoke rises upwards, which is why the floor has clean air to breathe
Q2. Call 911
Q3. Use the fire extinguisher
Q4. Wet a piece of cloth and cover the bottom of the door
Q5. No. The path might seem clear but it will quickly fill with black smoke and suffocate you
Q6. Run out of the house to the safe spot
Conclusion
The best way to test your kids on whether they follow your “no touching matches or lighters” directive is to do a little test. Leave a match box and a few cigarette lighters in the room. Make sure the lighters have been disabled and put simple sticks in the match box.
Then, monitor your kid’s movements through the nanny cam.
Chances are, your 3-year-old will get curious and pick up the lighter or match box. This is the reason you need to teach your kids about fire safety at an early age and then test their knowledge time after time.
If your kid is exhibiting fire-setting behavior, then it is time you stepped in and ran an intervention. Explain to them in clear terms that playing with fire will not be tolerated. If your kid still puts their life at risk by playing with fire then seek professional help. As mentioned earlier, this might be a psychological problem and burning things might be their relief outlet.
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