A residential sprinkler system, escape plans and fire extinguishers are also effective at preventing and mitigating this risk. Nearly 1,000 children ages 14 and under die in residential fires every year. Nearly 47,000 children ages 14 and under are injured in residential fires. Playing with fire is the leading cause of fire-related death among children ages 5 and under. Children in homes without smoke detectors are at greater risk from fires and fire-related death an injury.
Children living in rural areas have a dramatically higher risk of dying in a residential fire.
Every 16 seconds, a fire department responds to a fire somewhere in the United States. Keep matches, gasoline, lighters and all other flammable materials locked away and out of the reach of children. Install smoke detectors in your home on every level and in every sleeping area. For the best protection against different types of fires, consider installing both ionization detectors, better at sensing flaming fires, and photoelectric detectors, better at sensing slow, smoky fires. Plan and practice several fire escape routes from the home and identify an outside meeting place.