Don't Let Fire Strike Your Family

Thousands of children die or are injured in residential fires each year. The following guidelines will help protect your family from fires.

Eliminate potential fire hazards

• Keep matches, lighters and other heat sources out of children's reach.
• Remove anything flammable that is close to a fireplace, heater or radiator.
• Avoid plugging several appliance cords into the same electrical outlet.
• Replace old or unraveled appliance cords. Never run cords under a rug.
• Store all flammable liquids, such as gasoline, outside your home.

Plan ahead

• Install smoke detectors on every level of your home and in every sleeping area.
• Test smoke detectors monthly and replace their batteries twice a year. Many families do this each spring and fall when they set their clock for the time change.
• Plan and practice two escape routes out of each room and out of the house.
• Designate an outside meeting place so all family members can be accounted for quickly.

Teach children fire safety

• Let them hear what the smoke detector alarm sounds like.
• Make sure they know to crawl low under smoke and cover their mouths and noses.
• Remind them to touch doors before opening them. If the door is hot, use another exit.
• Explain why they should never go back into a burning building.
• Have them practice "stop, drop and roll" in case.

Reprinted with the permission of Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.