It is estimated eight percent (8%) of burn injuries and deaths are preventable, but burn injuries continue to remain one of the leading causes of childhood injuries in the United States. More than 250,0000 children are injured and more than 1,000 die each year as a result of burn trauma.
According to the U. S. Fire Administration, Missouri states fire death rate per capita for 2006, the most recent data available, was 16.8. Ranking Missouri as the 18th most deadly fire related state.
One of the most common ways in which children are injured are residential fires. Residential fires can be caused by smoking, candles, cooking, and other ignition sources. One of the leading causes related to child death are lighted tobacco products leading to the most fire fatalities, and cooking equipment leading to the most residential fire injuries. Common injury prevention techniques are designed to keep people safe from fires that start and burn related injury and death as a result. Typical strategies include fire alarms, house safety checks, smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, and family safety plans to exit in case of fire.
More information on this topic can be found at the Children's Safety Network.
