| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015
CONTACT: Kevin Walters
OFFICE: (615) 253-8941
State Fire Marshal’s Office: Keep Children Away From Novelty Lighters
Playing With Matches, Lighters Caused Deaths, $4M in Damages Since 2010
NASHVILLE –Novelty lighters resembling children’s toys can attract curious kids who may see these items as fun but may not recognize them as potential fire hazards.
While Tennessee banned the sale of novelty lighters in 2008, these items still represent a potential threat to Tennessee lives and property. Between 2010 and 2014, Tennessee fire departments reported 398 fires in which fire involving play with matches or lighters was a contributing factor were reported, according to the Tennessee Fire Incident Reporting System. Fires resulting from playing with matches or lighters caused three civilian deaths, 18 civilian injuries, two firefighter injuries and nearly $4 million in property damage during that time. Nearly half those fires were structure fires.
“Novelty lighters may appear harmless, but they are risky and potentially dangerous,” said Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Julie Mix McPeak. “Lighters that look like toys can confuse children and cause fires, injuries, and death. They are also prohibited in Tennessee. Do not buy or use them.”
The Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office is offering the following fire safety tips for parents:
- Supervise young children closely. Do not leave them alone, even for short periods of time.
- Keep matches and lighters in a locked drawer or cabinet, high out of the reach of children.
- Purchase and use only child-resistant lighters.
- Teach young children to never touch matches and lighters, and to tell a grownup if they find them.
- Take the mystery out of fire by teaching children that fire is a tool for adults, not a toy for children. Never use lighters or matches as a source of amusement for children; they may try to do the same.
- Check under beds and in closets for burned matches, evidence your child might be playing with fire.
- Develop a home fire escape plan, practice it with your children and designate a safe meeting place outside your residence.
- Teach children not to hide from firefighters but to get out quickly and call for help from another location.
- Show children how to crawl on the floor below smoke, to get out of the home, and to stay out.
- Demonstrate how to stop, drop to the ground, and roll if their clothes catch fire.
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