Residential fire related deaths and injuries among children: fireplay, smoke alarms, and prevention

Abstract

Background: The aim of the study was to describe the epidemiology of residential fire related deaths and injuries among children, and identify risk factors for these injuries through a linked dataset for the city of Dallas, Texas. Methods: Data for all residential fires were linked with fire related injury data, using fire department records, ambulance transports, hospital admissions, and medical examiner records, for children 0-19 years of age. Causes of fires, including fireplay (children playing with fire or combustibles), arson and other causes, were determined by fire department investigation. Results: From 1991-98, 76 children were injured in residential fires (39 deaths, 37 non-fatal). The highest rates occurred in the youngest children (<5 years) and in census tracts with lowest income. Fireplay accounted for 42% (32/76) of all injuries, 62% (15/24) of deaths in children 0-4 years, and 94% (13/14) of deaths from apartment and mobile home fires. Most of the fireplay related injuries (27/32, 84%) were from children playing with matches or lighters. Most started in a bedroom. Smoke alarms showed no protective efficacy in preventing deaths or injuries in fires started by fireplay or arson, but there was significant protective efficacy for a functional smoke alarm in fires started from all other causes (p<0.01). Conclusions: Residential fire related injuries among children in Dallas occurred predominantly in the youngest ages (<5 years) and in poor neighborhoods. Most of the deaths, especially those in apartments and mobile homes, resulted from fireplay. Smoke alarms appeared to offer no protection against death or injury in fireplay associated fires, possibly from the nature of the child's behavior in these fires, or from the placement of the smoke alarm. Prevention of childhood residential fire related deaths may require interventions to prevent fireplay in order to be successful.

Opinions of Turkish Parents and Teachers About Safety Skills Instruction to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Preliminary Investigation

“…They gave same safety skills as examples. Safety skills can be interpreted to mean the skills necessary for protecting and removing oneself from dangers and harm (Dixon et al 2010;Istre et al 2002;Runyan et al 2005). Parents' and teachers' definitions were consistent with those found in literature surrounding this topic, indicating parents and teachers are aware of the meaning of safety skills.…”

“…Although parents take precautions to protect their children from accidents, they may still encounter them at any time (Miltenberger 2008). Many children each year face the risk of injury, lost or death due to unintentional accidents (i.e., crossing the street, abduction, electric shock; Bergstrom et al 2012;Istre et al 2002;Phelan et al 2001;Runyan et al 2005;Tinsworth and McDonald 2001) as well as intentional accidents (i.e., physical and sexual abuse; Clees and Gast 1994;Dixon et al 2010;Pereda et al 2009). Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other developmental disabilities face two to three times the risk of injury or abuse compared with those of their same age peers in the general population (Agran and Krump 2010;Calavari and Romanczyk 2012;Koller 2000;Lee et al 2008;McEachern 2012;Strickland et al 2007;Volkmar and Wiesner 2009;Yildirim-Sari and Girli 2012).…”

Violent deaths in small children in northern Sweden

“…Notably, no child died from burns. Fire-related deaths are reported to be associated with low age, low income areas and, sometimes with fire play (39). However, according to Istre et al (39), smoke alarms offer no protection against fire play-associated injury, because of the child's behaviour in these cases.…”

Interventions to Prevent Residential Fire Injury

“…For children 1-4 years of age, fi res and burns are the 6th leading cause of death and result in almost 63,000 emergency department visits (CDC, 2005). Fatal fi re injuries among children are often (30-60%) due to playing with fi re, and playing with fi re is the leading cause of fatal residential fi re injuries for preschool children (Hall, 2003;Istre, McCoy, Carlin, & McClain, 2002;Shai & Lupinacci, 2003).…”