How to keep kids safe around the fire

Enjoying some well-deserved leisure time next to the sizzling flames of an open fire has been a South African tradition for decades, and it isn’t likely to die down any time soon. Lighting the fire is expected to lighten anyone’s mood. As South Africans, we tend to think about the prospect of having fun around the fire, but sometimes we forget that open fires, however well-tended to, can quickly turn into something severely dangerous.

Burns are more likely to occur near fire pits than you might be aware of. In South Africa, 18% of hospitalization is because of burns, with 10% of these burns resulting in the patient’s death. The most common cause of death for children under the age of 4 are thermal injuries. Burn injuries, therefore, remain a major public and urgent health problem in terms of mortality and long term physical and psychosocial disability – Burn care South Africa.

In spite of these statistics, landscapers claim that firepits are one of the most requested designs today – We agree that fire pits are a beautiful asset to your backyard. If you have children, however, it’s only natural to worry about their safety. In this blog we would like to ensure all the mommies and daddies that you can keep the kiddies safe and enjoy the benefits of your fire pit at the same time.

You might wonder how this is possible? Kids are active, keeping an eye on them all the time isn’t always possible, is it? You simply need to educate your little ones on the dangers of fire. Emphasise to them that fire pits aren’t something for them to play with. Teaching your kids to stay away from the oven in your kitchen is easy enough, making them aware of the fire pit outside shouldn’t be any more difficult.

Freak fire pit accidents involving children can happen in many different ways:

Burns: To prevent serious burn injuries from happening you need to remind your children that fire pits are scorching hot for a long time, even after the fire went out. Also teach your children to keep a safe distance from any fire, because the flames are excruciatingly hot.

Gas explosions: The traumatic story of Pippie Kruger became the perfect example of how fatal fire-related accidents could be. When Pippie was two and a half years old, 80% of her body suffered 3rd-degree burns, after a lighter her father was about to use to start a fire, exploded. The doctors told her fearful parents that she had a mere 10% chance of survival. After suffering through 54 operations, that included skin grafts and a cloned skin transplant, her heart-rendering story became one of a miracle girl that survived.

In addition to educating your children about the dangerous of an open fire, you can implement these great safety tips as well.

Large, blazing fires are likely to get out of hand, don’t create them in the first place.
Try not to light a fire within 3 meters of any structures.
Fire’s should never be started with gasoline (Again we would like to use the story of Pippie as an example).
Never light a fire without having a fire extinguisher nearby.
Have a first aid kit nearby.
Don’t light a fire in windy conditions.
Children shouldn’t be allowed to start a fire under any circumstances.

We want to end off by reminding you that having children doesn’t have to be the end of your fun time around the fire pit.

Keeping safety in mind, you are spoiled for choice with our wide variety of fire pits. Feel free to contact us regarding any safety questions that you might have. If you plan ahead and do proper research, you will be able to enjoy all the benefits of owning a fire pit without worrying about how it might affect your little ones.