This Year’s Theme is ‘protect your family from fire’ Published Oct. 5, 2011 375th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Emergency Services Flight Scott Air Force Base, Ill. -- Each year, fires take a great toll on life and property in the home. Every 23 seconds, a fire department responds to a fire; every 66 seconds, a fire occurs in a structure and every 87 seconds, a residential fire strikes. The National Fire Protection Association estimates U.S. fire departments respond to an average of 373,900 reported home fires per year. These fires claim a civilian life every 175 minutes and results in a civilian injury every 31 minutes and $7.1 billion in direct property damage per year. What can one do to protect the family from fire? Develop and practice an escape plan twice a year; only 75 percent of families have an escape plan in place and less than half practice it. Provide smoke detectors and test them monthly and replace the batteries twice a year. Nearly two-thirds of home fire associated deaths occur in homes where there were no operational smoke alarms. For those that live off the installation, installing home sprinkler systems can cut the risk of dying in a fire by approximately 80 percent. A sprinkler system can contain or extinguish a fire prior to the arrival of the fire department. Cooking is still the leading cause of home fires in the U.S. as unattended cooking leads the way in home fires. Heating equipment/space heaters are the second leading cause of home fires and fire related deaths which peaks December through February. Heating equipment fires are from improper cleaning and placing the heater too close to upholstered furniture, clothing, mattresses or bedding. Smoking is the next leading cause of fires in the home and is the number one cause of fire related deaths in home fires. Electrical fires are in the running as well; they involve electrical distribution, lighting and electrical ranges, washer/dryers, fans, space heater and alike. And on the rise candles which over the past five years has been our number one cause of family housing fires. Most candle fires are from candles being left unattended and approximately two-thirds of the candle fires start in the bedroom. Below are some fire safety tips to protect your children. Children under five in the kitchen are at a higher risk of non-fire burns associated with cooking than being in a cooking fire. Teach young children to leave matches and lighters alone, and if they find matches or lighters, tell them to take them to an adult. Teach them the importance of not placing blankets or clothing over a lamp. Remind them not to move a space heater or turn it up without adult supervision. Store matches and lighters out of children's reach and sight, up high, preferably in a locked cabinet. Never use lighters or matches as a source of amusement for children, they may imitate what you do. Use only lighters with child-resistant features. Remember child-resistant does not mean they are child proof. Do not leave unsupervised children alone with lit candles. If your child expresses curiosity about fire or has been playing with fire, calmly but firmly explain that matches and lighters are tools for adults only. If you suspect your child has intentionally set a fire, or unduly fascinated with fire, get help. Your local fire department, school, or community counseling agency can put you in touch with trained experts. Teach them what action to take if their clothing catches on fire--"Stop, drop, and roll." As a reminder, call 911 for all Police, Fire and Medical emergencies. Report all fires even if they have been extinguished. Questions? If so, please contact the Scott Air Force Base Fire Prevention office at 256-3378.