At Firechief® Global, our mission is clear and simple: to create a world where people can live and work free from the fear of fire. For families, that begins at home, especially when it comes to protecting our children.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through some key points that parents and carers need to know about fire safety for children, including how to talk to children about fire (which isn’t as easy as you might think). In addition, we will explain what to teach them and provide you with some practical, simple steps to reduce the risk of fire at home.

We’ll also touch briefly on our Safer Homes campaign, an initiative launched in 2025 as part of our mission to create a safer world by raising awareness, sharing real stories and driving action to protect families.

How to talk to children about fire safety

Fires can spread in seconds, and when they do, children are at particular risk. That isn’t simply down to their physical ability to understand and react to the event of a fire, but because their instinct is likely to be to panic or hide instead of looking for their parent or carer, or escaping.

Having open, but age-appropriate, conversations with children about fire safety can make all the difference, and a great place to start is by using visual resources such as these from the London Fire Brigade’s Education team to make the discussion fun and interactive.

When talking to children about fire safety, it’s always a good idea to keep the discussion as light but informative as possible to get the message across without scaring them.

It is very easy, especially when they’re young, to avoid the issue and to let them learn in school, but speaking to them on a personal level often helps them to:

• Understand what fire is and why it is so dangerous
• Learn what to do (and what not to do) in an emergency
• Feel prepared rather than afraid

Fire safety education does not form a mandatory part of the National Curriculum in the UK, and while many primary schools will dedicate time and resources to educating children on the risks of fire, they do not have to. This means that it’s even more important for parents and guardians to share valuable advice to educate children from a young age.

What every child should know about fire safety

Regardless of their age, once they are old enough to have an understanding of the world around them and some of the risks, there are a number of key home fire safety and prevention lessons that all children should be taught, or have explained to them:

1. Stop, drop and roll. We all know this one, but this simple action could save their life (or someone else’s) if clothing catches fire. Stop, drop to the ground and roll around until the flames are extinguished.
2. Recognise smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarms. The next time you test your alarms or accidentally burn the toast, let them hear what the alarm sounds like and explain to them that it’s time to act quickly.
3. Dial 999 in an emergency. Explain to them that in the event of a fire, they are to call 999 and ask for the Fire Brigade, along with vital information to share, such as their address.
4. NEVER hide in the event of a fire. As touched on previously, children often hide when they get scared, seeking comfort under their blanket, under a bed or even in a wardrobe. Explaining why doing this is so dangerous and what they should do instead could save their life.
5. Don’t play with matches, lighters or candles. Again, one we’re all aware of, but it’s vitally important to reiterate. If children understand from an early age that flames can start fires in seconds, then they are less likely to play with devices that produce flames.

Fire safety measures families can implement at home

As a family, there are plenty of things that you can do at home to improve fire safety, many of which the children can help with, too.

Getting them involved in best practices at a young age will help develop their understanding of what they should and should not do, while also educating them on more advanced practices as they get older.

A few examples to improve your children’s fire safety knowledge at home include:

1. Installation of smoke alarms on all floors, and weekly testing
2. Keeping matches, lighters and candles away from children
3. Never leave children alone near cooking appliances
4. Using safety plugs in unused sockets
5. Storing devices safely and avoiding overcharging

How to create a family fire evacuation plan

One thing that wasn’t listed above but should form a key part of your home fire safety strategy and conversations is a fire evacuation plan.

Even if you don’t have children, an evacuation plan is crucial to have as it helps you and anyone else in the property to know what to do in the event of a fire, but also how to escape and what to do once you’re out of the building.

A good rule of thumb for a family evacuation plan is to:

1. Create a plan with two exits from each room. This is sensible because, if one route is blocked, there is always an alternative to try.
2. Choose a safe point outside. Once out of the building, identify a safe place to gather, compose yourselves and call the emergency services if it hasn’t already been done.
3. Practice. Going through your family fire evacuation plan a couple of times a year will help children (and adults) remember what to do and where to go. It can also be good to try this in different weather conditions and at different times of day, so that those in the house can learn how to get out whenever they might need to.
4. Reinforce important rules. It goes against all instincts, but once outside, you should never go back into a burning building, whether it’s for toys, pets or personal possessions. Reminding children of this at a young age is vital, however hard it may be to leave items behind.

How to reduce the risk of fire at home

Reducing the risk of fire at home can be a lot simpler than people think.

While there are a lot of common household items that represent fire risks – candles, plug sockets, cooking appliances and Lithium-ion battery devices, to name just a few – these risks can all be mitigated by following a few simple steps. Best of all, the children can help, too.

For example:

• Ensure sockets are not overloaded
• Keep soft furnishings away from heaters
• Avoid overcharging electronic devices
• Use only manufacturer-supplied chargers
• Check for signs of damage or smoke on cables and around plugs
• Do not charge mobile phones under pillows
• Keep fire extinguishers and fire blankets in accessible areas of the home

Here are some helpful resources that you and your family can use to discuss fire safety further or increase your understanding of the risks:

• UK Government Fire Kills Campaign
• Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT)
• London Fire Brigade Education Resources
• Children’s Burns Trust
• Firechief® Global Blog

The Firechief® Safer Homes campaign

Our Safer Homes campaign was introduced to raise awareness of the risks of fire and to provide real-life examples of what can happen and how to prevent fires.

Over on our LinkedIn account and the Firechief® YouTube channel, you will find interviews with real members of our team who share real, personal stories relating to house fires. We also have an in-depth interview with Jo Myers from the Children’s Burns Trust, who talks passionately and at length about the lasting impact of fire injuries on children, how these incidents occur and what we can all do to prevent them.

Fire safety is everyone’s responsibility

By talking to children about fire safety and taking action at home, as a family, you’re not only preventing fires and reducing the risks, you’re building confidence, resilience and awareness in your child or children, too.

Our Safer Homes campaign and partnership with the Children’s Burns Trust is shining a light on the risks of fire in domestic environments and the importance of educating children on fire safety at the earliest opportunity.

This guide started by outlining our mission to make the world a safer place where people can live and work free from the fear of fire.

By ensuring that our children respect the risks of fire, but do not fear it, we can help them to grow up with the knowledge of what to do should they ever experience a fire, so they can take the best and safest course of action.