Are You Fire Wise About Your Child’s Safety?

There are so many things as adults that we take for granted.

Because we’re old enough to know where fire comes from, we tend to forget how we felt about it when we were much younger. Do you remember the first time you heard the sound of a match being struck and the smell of the sulfur as it billowed into a flickering light? Or the surprise you felt when you saw your mom turn the knob on the stove and the blue and yellow glow appeared? What about the first time you saw your dad or granddad flick a lighter and a flame popped out?

Pretty amazing stuff – especially to a toddler!

As you got older, were you one of those lucky kids who played with matches and suffered no consequences? Statistics prove that many, many other children haven’t been so fortunate. Fires can spread ridiculously fast, and one small mistake can be the last.

It’s true that curiosity about fire is natural, so we, as parents, need to be aware that matches left on the coffee table or candles left burning in the living room can cause all sorts of trouble if we’re not diligent.

Some things we need to do are:

• Put matches and lighters up out of our child or grandchild’s reach or keep them in the pocket of the clothing we’re wearing at the moment. Even better, lock them away! Children can be extremely resourceful – it wouldn’t be that hard to figure out a way to climb up on the counter to get their little fingers around that lighter!

• The Cinnamon Spice candle that makes our house smell so nice can leave little Timmy blistered, or cause his clothes to catch on fire if we’re not paying attention!

• If we can’t do it ourselves, we need to designate a responsible adult to keep at least one eye on the children at all times. We need to keep in mind that fire is only one possible danger kids can encounter before they get old enough to make wise decisions for themselves!

• Granted, the loud beeping of a smoke detector is annoying, but it may just be the only thing between our child and her painful burns or death! That sounds harsh, but it’s true. Our homes should have detectors in or near each bedroom, as well as throughout the entire space.

If we do our jobs right, our little Timmy’s and Tammy’s will grow up, safe and unscarred, with a healthy respect for the benefits and dangers of fire. It’s up to us!


Posted by Colleen C.

2010 BCVFD Officers & Firefighters

Mary Ann Herzog - Fire Chief and Training Officer

Mark Ernst - Assistant Fire Chief

Aaron Render - Captain

Carter Morris - Lieutenant

Barry Lentz - Seasonal Firefighter

Kitchen Fires

We live in the era of multi-tasking. Have you ever put something on the stove to cook and forgotten all about it until a nasty smell invades your senses or you’re brought up short by the incessant screeching of the smoke alarm? And let’s hope you never get so distracted that you put dinner on to cook and then leave the house!

When I was an 18-year-old newlywed who knew less than nothing about cooking, I experienced what’s called a DRY COOKING FIRE. That’s where the liquid in the pan boils out and scorches whatever you’re cooking. Luckily, these types of “fires” don’t usually cause a lot of damage other than the smoke leaving a residue and an unpleasant odor, but the heat may cause some damage to the surrounding cooking area. I was fortunate – all that happened was the pan was ruined, the apartment stunk to the high heavens for awhile, and my husband got to tease me by telling anyone who’d listen that, yes Virginia, you can burn boiled eggs!

If you experience an OVEN FIRE, it’s normally not too serious because they usually suffocate or can be easily extinguished.

GREASE FIRES, on the other hand, are a serious matter! These start when oil or greasy foods ignite, and the open flames can quickly reach the cabinets or combustibles, causing a major fire. If you can cover the pan with a lid, you may be able to suffocate the fire. Dousing the flames with baking soda may work as well. One thing you never want to do is put water on a grease fire … that will make it splatter and will increase the size of the blaze. Another thing you’ll never want to do is attempt to carry the burning pan outside; it will get too hot and you’ll probably drop it, which will spread the fire even further.

Here are some things you can do to avoid kitchen fires:

1) Make sure you’re not wearing loose-fitting or long-sleeved clothes that could inadvertently rake across the open flame. If you have long hair, pull it back away from your face and don’t use flammable hair products.

2) Keep potholders, boxes, plastic cooking utensils, etc. away from open flames, and place the pot handles so they’re not sticking out where anyone, including children, can bump them or tip them over.

3) Because it’s highly flammable, make sure to keep your cooking areas free of grease.

If you have the misfortune to experience any type of fire, get everyone out of the house as quickly as possible, close the door behind you, and call 9-1-1.


Posted by Colleen C.