East Oregonian
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EASTERN OREGON MARKETPLACE
FAMILY FEATURES
t may be the most wonderful time of
year, but it can also be one of the most
dangerous. Along with the cooking
and decorations that make the season
magical, the holidays present risks for home
fires and burns.
An independent survey conducted by
Shriners Hospitals for Children ® found that
many Americans do not follow key fire
and burn safety tips despite being aware of
dangerous risks. For example, 25 percent
of respondents reported leaving lit candles
unattended, and 27 percent said they have
left them in reach of children.
“Some of these findings seem alarming,
but each year our burn hospitals see the
unfortunate results – children who have
been injured in cooking related accidents
or in fires associated with holiday
decorations or candles,” said Kenneth
Guidera, M.D., chief medical officer for
Shriners Hospitals for Children. “These
injuries can mean years of ongoing
treatments and extensive rehabilitation for
a child. That’s why we encourage families
to learn about fire safety and prevention
before a tragedy occurs.”
Fire and burn hazards are prevalent in
many homes throughout the holidays, and
Shriners Hospitals for Children offers these
tips to remind families how to stay safe:
n
Never leave lit candles unattended. If
you must use flame-burning candles,
make
sure to extinguish them
when you leave
the room.
n When cooking, turn pot
handles toward
the back of the stove, out
of the reach
of children.
n Never leave a hot stove or
oven unattended.
n While cooking, keep a lid
or cookie sheet nearby to
cover a pan if its contents
catch fire.
n If you decorate using a
live, fresh-cut Christmas
tree, water it daily.
n Keep trees and other
flammable decor at least 3
feet away from heaters and
flames.
n Discard decorative lights
with bare wires, frays or
kinks.
n Make sure your home is
equipped with working
smoke alarms and fire
extinguishers.
n Have an escape plan in
case of a fire and practice it with your
family members so they know how to
react if a fire does occur.
n Know the burn care resources in your
community.
The Shriners Hospitals locations that
specialize in burn care provide critical,
surgical and rehabilitative care to children
with varying degrees of new and healed
burns. Their state-of-the-art burn facilities
are staffed and equipped to provide
reconstructive and restorative surgery
for healed burns, as well as treatments
for various other skin conditions. With
22 locations in the U.S., Canada and
Mexico, the health care system provides
Tuesday, November, 21, 2017
advanced care for children regardless of
the families’ ability to pay. Learn more at
shrinershospitalsforchildren.org.
Visit beburnaware.org to learn key fire
safety practices to help avoid injuries
this holiday season. You can find activity
books, tip cards and a five-minute online
quiz to help identify and eliminate
potential risks.
Kids and Candles Don’t Mix
CANDLE SAFETY FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Candles are one of the most common sources
of holiday fires. Never leave lit candles
unattended and take these additional
precautions to have a safe and fun holiday
season:
n When
candles are lit, make sure they are in stable
holders and placed where they cannot be easily
knocked over.
n Keep
candles, matches and lighters out of reach
of children.
n Be
conscious of nearby surroundings. Never place a
candle near drapery, decorations or other flammable
items that may easily catch fire. Also avoid drafty
areas or fans, which can accelerate flames or
accidentally blow a flammable item onto a candle.
n Know
that the safest way to extinguish a candle is
with
a snuffer.
n Consider
using wickless or flameless candles. There
are numerous options that cast a warm glow so you
can enjoy the ambiance of a candle without the
risk.
Julianna and her
mother, Tracy,
know firsthand how
dangerous the holiday
season can be. While
at a family Christmas
party, Julianna, just 20
months old, snuck away
from the activities and
was in the bathroom
playing in front of the
mirror. A lit tea light
candle on the corner
of the sink ignited her
clothes.
Tracy heard
Julianna’s screams from
down the hall, ran to
the bathroom and saw
her daughter’s dress
on fire. She patted out
the flames and family
members called an
ambulance. Julianna
spent three weeks at
Shriners Hospitals for
Children — Cincinnati
to treat the third-degree
burns that covered the
left side of her body.
Julianna, now 8-years-
old, is doing well but faces ongoing treatment as she grows.
“We are very lucky,” Tracy said. “Julianna will be fine thanks to the care she received. We all
get busy during this time of year, but it is so important for parents to make sure they are following
basic safety tips to keep their kids safe.”