Early Fire Safe is a partnership program with Maternal and Child Health which aims to address fire, scalds and burns risks for babies and young children.
Young children aged 0 to 4 are at higher risk of:
- home fire fatalities
- burn and scald injuries
- impacts from bushfire
In some Council areas, new-parent groups will include an Early Fire Safe education session. Community centres and groups can contact their nearest CFA regional office to find out more about the session.
Parents and carers
Improve home fire safety for your baby and young children:
- Have a working smoke alarm, that is less than 10 years old where your baby and young children sleep.
Have a home fire escape plan
- Have a home fire escape plan that includes how to get your baby or young children outside. An adult needs to get young children out of the house to a safe meeting place outside.
Reduce the chance of a fire starting in your home by:
- Making sure there is a 1 metre clearance around any heaters. Keep your baby’s bassinet or cot 1 metre away from a heater.
- Staying in the kitchen when you are cooking, it is easy to get distracted with young children. Turn off the stove if you need to walk away.
- Charging battery powered appliances on hard surfaces and following manufacturer’s instructions to reduce risk of overheating.
Prevent fire play:
- Keep lighters and matches and candles out of reach at all times. This includes stove lighters, open fireplace lighters and matches.
- Buy child-safe lighters if you use them regularly.
- Teach children that fire is hot and dangerous, as many children are naturally curious about fire.
- Explain to children that fire is a useful tool for adults but is not a toy.
- If you have any concerns speak to your Maternal and Child Health nurse.
Prevent burns and scalds:
- Scalds from hot drinks account for well over 50% of all burns and scalds injuries! Keep hot drinks and food well out of reach. Don't have a hot drink while holding a baby or toddler.
- To prevent burns, install and maintain guards around fireplaces and heaters.
- Contact burns also happen when opening the oven door, so make sure your toddler or child is a safe distance away.
- Properly extinguish outside fires such as fire pits with water. If you don't, they can continue to burn for days.
Burns first aid
If the burn is smaller than a 20 cent piece - place the burn under cool running water for 20 minutes. If larger than a 20 cent piece seek medical help immediately.
Visit Kidsafe Victoria for more information about burns and scalds.
Bushfire safety and preparedness
If you live in a bushfire risk area, have a plan of where you will go and what you will take for your baby or young children.
The Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) have created these emergency resources.
To improve your preparedness:
- Have a plan of where you will go that is safe for your children. Ideally, plan to go to a friends or family’s home in a low-risk area. Relief centres can be uncomfortable places for babies and toddlers, as they can be loud and crowded. They usually don't have special areas for younger children to feed, sleep, and settle. If you can’t go to a friend or family member's home, a relief centre is still the safest choice since it keeps you away from any fires. Just remember that it might be stressful there, and it can be hard to keep an eye on a toddler who might wander off while you’re also looking after a baby, especially if you’re by yourself.
- Pack an evacuation kit with all the items needed to care for your baby or toddler for at least 3 days. The ABA have evacuation kit lists for a:
Maternal and Child Health and Aboriginal Maternal and Child Health workforce
As a MCHN you are in a unique position to improve the home fire safety for the families that you are working with by having a discussion.
Improving home fire safety
Research indicates that a house fire is four times more likely to have fatalities when there are no working smoke alarms. Given that children under four are overrepresented in home fire fatality data we know that working smoke alarms will save lives.
You are not responsible for testing smoke alarms but you are able to have a discussion and prompt action with parents.
The MCH Safe Sleeping Checklist used during a home visit (updated 2025) includes working smoke alarms where baby sleeps.
- This Smoke Alarm FAQ list will help you to answer questions.
- Use this referral pathway to arrange for free smoke alarm installation for families at higher risk.
- Our Easy English resources can help parents with low literacy.
- Families need a home fire escape plan that includes getting their young children out safely.
- Most fatal house fires start at nighttime in bedrooms and living areas. To prevent fires starting:
- ensure there is at least one meter clearance around heaters, especially around a cot or bassinet,
- charge electrical devices on hard surfaces to avoid overheating.
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Preventing fire play
Over 40% of fire fatalities in the 0-4 age range involve fire play. That is, children playing with matches or lighters that can accidently start a fire. It is a significant cause of injury and death in this age group.
The child lighting the fire is usually in the upper age range of this bracket (3-4 year olds), but the consequences often involve multiple fatalities with siblings playing together.
There are three main factors that increase the risk of fire play:
- Access to matches and lighters
- Poor supervision
- Parents with low fire safety knowledge and understanding
Support the families you are working with by reminding parents:
- To keep lighters and matches well out of reach of children at all times
- To teach children that fire is hot and dangerous and only to be used by adults.
- That children are naturally curious about fire and want to copy what they see adults doing with fire. So, adults need to be very thoughtful about how they use it around young children.
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Preventing burns and scalds
- Utilise all the KidSafe messaging.
- Encourage parents to supervise children around outside fire pits and bon fires.
Improving bushfire preparedness
The Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) have created emergency resources to improve planning and preparedness with babies and young children.
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Page last updated: Monday, 28 July 2025 1:08:42 PM