Smoking is the number one cause of home fire deaths in the United States. Every year, men, women and children are killed in home fires caused by cigarettes and other smoking materials. Most victims of smoking related fires never thought it could happen to them. These fires can affect not only the smoker, but others living in or next to the home at the time of the fire. You can make a difference. The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) is working to help prevent home fire deaths and injuries caused by smoking materials. Through this national fire safety campaign, the USFA along with partner organizations around the country will urge smokers to Put It Out. All the Way. Every Time.
About 1,000 people are killed every year from smoking material home fires. People close to where a smoking material fire starts are harder to save, because the fire spreads fast. Most fires caused by smoking materials start on beds, furniture, or in trash.
Facts About Smoking and Home Fires Of the fatal victims who were not the smokers: Thirty-four percent were children of the smokers. Twenty-five percent were neighbors or friends of the smokers. One in four people killed in home fires is not the smoker whose cigarettes caused the fire. Fire caused by cigarettes and other smoking materials are preventable. Here’s what you can do in your community: to your community for use in newsletters, at meetings and at other events, such bingo and open houses.
Each year in the United States an estimated 2,800 children age 14 or younger are injured and 850 killed in residential fires. Of these children, over 40 percent are under the age five, 70 percent are under the age of 10. Because the majority of fire casualties occur in children under the age of 10, USFA Kids is targeted towards that age group.
On this Web site, you will find short lessons about fire escape planning, smoke alarms and general home fire safety. It is recommended that an adult guide children through the lessons. Each lesson is followed by a brief five-question quiz to test children's knowledge of the subject after they have worked through the lesson. Also on the site, you will find games to reinforce the information learned in the lessons. Finally, through a 10-question quiz, children will have the opportunity to earn a Jr. Fire Marshal certificate signed by the Assistant Administrator, U.S. Fire Administration.
Cooking and cooking equipment, most often a range or stovetop, is the leading cause of reported home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Cooking equipment is also the leading cause of unreported fires and associated injuries or illnesses. When cooking equipment is described as a cause, it means that cooking equipment provided the heat that started the fire, not that the equipment malfunctioned. More cooking equipment fires are caused by human error than equipment malfunction.
Below are a series of media learning clips provided by the United States Fire Administration to highlight key points of a report called Behavioral Mitigation of Cooking Fires
Are you ready to put your planning skills to good use? Are you ready to help your family get prepared for the unexpected? Your family can use this Web site to create a plan that will help you be ready for many different kinds of unexpected situations!
You're already a great planner! Every day you get your homework done, get to music or sports practice on time, and plan where and when you'll meet up with friends. But how do you get prepared for emergencies? It's simple! It just takes planning and practice, and these fun activities from Ready Kids can help!
