Tips to Keep your Children Safe Against Home Fires

Media Release

17 June 2016

Tips to keep your children safe against home fires

Tshwane Emergency Services would like to share valuable information with the residents of Tshwane. Now that winter is upon us, more households will be using heating agents – which calls for vigilance and having precautionary measures in place.

During this season, our Emergency Services usually responds to many structural fires, including house fires. Children make up a higher percentage of fire victims than the population overall. In fact, children under five, along with the elderly, are at the highest risk of house fire injuries that might lead to deaths. Scalds also are a serious problem among young children. Parents are urged to be extra careful during this period in relation to home fires.

Safety hints and tips to safeguard your children

Keep candles where kids can’t knock them over. Make sure candles are in a non-tip candle holder before lighting them.
Store matches and lighters up high, out of reach of young hands.
Ensure you have a fire escape plan – and practice it!
Have two routes for escape, and choose a location outside the home where the family can meet once they’ve safely escaped.
Make sure your child is able to dial the emergency number 10177 and talk to the operator as soon as he or she is old enough to do so.
Keep kids a safe distance from hot liquids, which are a frequent cause of scalds – especially in winter.
Never use deep fat fryers around children.
Have pot handles on the stove pointing to the back. Try not to use the stove’s front burners/plates when there are young children near the kitchen.
Never leave food cooking on the stove when you plan to be out for some time. Turn off the heat until you return.
Make sure children never touch a space heater or put anything near it. Young children might not know to remove their hand, even if the heater is extremely hot, and can end up with very serious scalds.
Keep appliance cords and wires out of reach of young children.
Store paraffin in a safe childproof holder away from children.
Never overload wall sockets, as this might start a fire.
Never allow children to play with an open fire, especially during a barbecue.
Children must be at least 1 m away from any heating source during winter and under adult supervision at all times.
Never leave young children alone at home, as they like to explore, and take special care of the elderly.
If you have security bars on your windows or doors, make sure there is a release mechanism that works and that everyone in the household knows how to use.
Make sure you have a fire extinguisher in the home, and that any child old enough to handle it is taught how to do so.
Teach children what to do if they are on fire: stop, drop and roll.
Get medical help for any burns suffered by a child.