Child's play with fire – a reminder to parents from rescuers

In the terminology of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, among many causes of fires, there is one – children's play with fire. It is well known that matches are not toys for children. Many have had to learn from their bitter experience that this is indeed the case. Fires caused by children's play with fire are, unfortunately, not a rare occurrence. The outcome of such fires can be very tragic – the death of a child.

Almost all small children show an increased interest in fire, not fully realizing its potential danger: they are irresistibly drawn to this wonder of nature. At the age of three to five, children often imitate adults in their games, mimicking their actions and work. At this age, children want to learn and experience everything as quickly as possible. The desire for independence is especially pronounced when children are left home alone.

There are cases when adults, due to various circumstances, are forced to leave children unattended for a while. This is dangerous, especially if children are left in locked apartments or rooms. In the event of a fire, they will not be able to exit the dangerous premises. One cannot be sure that, left alone, a child will not decide to play with a box of matches, will not want to set paper on fire, or will not build a campfire that they once saw in the forest.

It is not uncommon for play to turn into hooliganism. For fun, kids launch burning "airplanes" from the roofs of houses and balconies, set fire to mailboxes, door frames of apartments, and throw lit smoke bombs into stairwells, completely unaware of the consequences such antics may bring.

In 2024, 10 children died in fires in the Republic of Belarus, and the lives of four children were taken by fire in 2025.

As a rule, the blame for all these antics primarily lies with the parents, who leave children unsupervised in apartments, do not hide matches from them, do not control their behavior, do not monitor their games, and sometimes, indulging children's whims, allow them to play with matches on their own, entrusting young children to watch over heating stoves and to turn on electrical appliances.

What needs to be done to prevent a fire from children's play with fire:

— explain fire safety behavior to children;

— be an example in all situations related to fire safety rules;

— do not leave matches in places accessible to children;

— do not entrust children with lighting stoves, gas cookers, or turning on electrical appliances on their own;

— ensure that children do not start campfires;

— when leaving home, do not leave young children unattended by adults;

— organize interesting leisure activities for the child.

Teach the child the correct actions in case of fire.

Upon discovering a fire or signs of burning (smoke, increased temperature, smell of burning, etc.), a child of any age should immediately leave the premises. Report the fire to adults or to the Ministry of Emergency Situations at the numbers "101" or "112".

As the saying goes: "Forbidden fruit is sweet!", therefore it is more beneficial to explain once again to the child about the danger lurking in a box of matches or a lighter than simply saying: "No!"