In fatal home fires caused by children, three out of five children set fire to bedding, mattresses, upholstered furniture or clothing.

A house fire that killed 2 people in the U.S. on Saturday was caused by an 8-year-old was playing with matches.

An autopsy showed that the two victims of the fire, an 83-year-old grandmother, Mary Childs, and her 3-year-old grandchild, Arbrielle Douse, died from carbon monoxide poisoning and thermal injury.

The 8-year-old boy who started the fire in a bedroom while playing with matches, escaped.

Young children who set fires usually do so out of curiosity or accidentally while playing with fire, matches, or lighters, and don’t know how dangerous fire can be.

A study done in the U.S. shows that in fatal home fires caused by children, three out of five children set fire to bedding, mattresses, upholstered furniture or clothing.

A young child is curious about the world around him, matches make fire and fire is bright and pretty. A child may hear when adults say that fire can hurt, but a child just doesn’t have enough life experience to understand what this means.

You can take action to prevent a fire in your home and to keep your child safe from fire-related injuries with the following steps:

1. Store matches, lighters or other flammables out of your childrens’ reach

Never leave matches or lighters in a room where a child spends unsupervised time.

Ensure that you store matches out of your child’s reach. Put them on a top shelf as far back as possible or in a locked cabinet or drawer.

2. Talk to your child

Tell your child that he or she isn’t allowed to play with matches or lighters and remind him or her to stay away from them at all times.

Ensure your children understand even from a young age, that even a small fire can be dangerous and deadly.

Read a tip from one mother:

“I have always taught my children about the dangers of playing with matches/lighters. They have grown up always hearing about how dangerous it is; from the time they are born, I explain it. Heck, there were times we would be driving down the road and would see a house on fire; I would pull over and walk the kids down to the area, and sit them down right there and tell them that this is what could happen if they play with matches/lighters without knowing how to use them properly.”

3. Encourage your child to be safety conscious

Tell your child to tell you to always tell an adult if they find matches laying around. Praise your child when they tell you about matches so he or she is encouraged to do it again in the future.

4. Have a no smoking policy at home

Don’t smoke in your house and don’t allow others to smoke inside, either as this increases the risk of your child getting hold of matches or lighters and playing with them.

5. Have an evacuation policy in the home

Have an evacuation route and an escape plan in place in case your home does catch on fire. Teach your child to always leave the house if he or she sees smoke and to never go back inside once he or she escapes.

6. Don’t ignore it when your child does set a fire

The Kids Health website suggests that if you discover your child setting a fire, don’t ignore it or assume that with punishment, your child has learned the lesson.

This is because even one small fire can have disastrous consequences, so it is vital to stop the behavior immediately. They suggest that many children who set fires do so repeatedly, especially if there is no intervention.

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