By RVFD Vice President / Lieutenant Scot Best: Each year, children start many fires. Many of these fires are started with matches and lighters. Children set fires for many reasons; they may be curious about fire, crying for help, or engaging in delinquent behavior. Children as young as two have been able to operate lighters and start fires with them. Any act of fire setting, regardless of the reason, is dangerous and must be handled appropriately. In their “Residential Fire Loss Estimates” report from 2020, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) survey of Fire Departments in the U.S. between 2015 and 2017 reported that, for heat sources: Lighters: Involved in 1600 residential fires per year 50 residential fire deaths from lighter fires per year 230 residential fire injuries from lighter fires per year Resulted in $69.3 million dollars of residential fire structural damage Matches: Involved in 400 residential fires per year 10 residential fire deaths from matches per year 40 residential fire injuries from lighter fires per year Resulted in $18.4 million dollars of residential fire structural damage While most of these incidents are related to other common accidental house fire causes (smoking, cooking, etc.), occasionally the cause is ruled […]
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