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Prevalence Of Fires Caused By Children In The USA
Children are naturally curious about
fire. Fire is mysterious and children find it very amusing to burn a
piece of wood or paper in a campfire. Or, they may see their parents
light the grill. The flames shoot high. And, it is natural for
children to want to imitate their parents. Also, fire can be
comforting since we use it to heat our food, keep warm, have fun
around a campfire and for various other uses. Thus, this can lead to
children experimenting with fire. They may see a lighter or a box of
matches and may want to light something. Before they know it, the
fire can spread quickly and become out of control. Therefore, it is
important for parents to teach their children about the dangers of
playing with lighters and matches.
According to the University of Michigan Health System, children make
up 20% of all fire-related deaths. Over 30% of fires that kill
children are caused by a child playing with fire. Fires and burns
are the leading cause of deaths in children between the ages 1 to 4
and the second leading cause of death in children ages 5 to 9. Each
year children set more than 100,000 fires, with more than 20,000 of
those being set in homes. Most child fire-play incidents involve
lighters and matches, so adults must keep these items out of reach
and out of sight. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission, more than 5,000 residential fires per year are caused by
children under the age of 5 who were playing with lighters. This
results in an annual estimated 150 deaths and more than 1,000
injuries from children playing with lighters. Copyright Paramount Parents Asscn 2010
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