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Fire Safety for Kids

Smokey high fiving kids

In the United States, nearly 9 out of 10 wildfires are caused by people who are not careful or don't know how to be safe outdoors.

Fire can be beneficial for forests in some specific cases, but unplanned fires that burn too hot can make it hard for them to recover.

Can a forest ever recover from wildfire? The answer is yes, but unfortunately, it can take a very long time. An average forest is about 70–100 years old, and the trees in some forests can be 4,000–5,000 years old! Wildfires hurt trees and plants, insects and animals, and people, too. The recovery and healing process for a forest can take many years as a result.

Help Smokey prevent these unwanted fires by learning to be careful and teaching the youth in your lives to do the same.

Painting of Smokey Bear holding a cub in one hand and a shovel in another. There is a cub holding onto Smokey's leg and a variety of different forest animals behind Smokey.
Wendelin, Rudy. 1995. “Smokey Says - Prevent Wildfires.” Special Collections, USDA National Agricultural Library.

Remember Smokey’s Five Rules of Wildfire Prevention

Teach children about Campfire Safety and the role that they can play in preventing wildfires. Whether you're a parent, camp counselor, or trusted adult, below are rules to share with the youth in your life.

  1. Only you can prevent wildfires.
  2. Always be careful with fire.
  3. Never play with matches or lighters.
  4. Always watch your campfire.
  5. Make sure your campfire is completely out before leaving it.

Preparing the Fire

  • Step 01

    Make sure you’re allowed to build a campfire

  • Step 02

    Keep a bucket of water and shovel nearby

  • Step 03

    Use an existing fire pit or dig your own at least 10 feet away from anything that could catch on fire

  • Step 04

    Circle the fire pit with a metal fire ring or rocks

Water, bucket, shovel, a metal fire ring, and wood logs

Lighting and Maintaining the Fire

  • Step 05

    After lighting the fire, throw the match into the fire

  • Step 06

    Make sure an adult is always watching the fire

  • Step 07

    Don’t pull sticks out of the fire

  • Step 08

    Don't throw trash or dangerous items into the fire

  • Step 09

    Don’t sit on the fire ring or rocks around the fire — they heat up fast and stay hot for a long time

Keep an eye on your fire

Putting Out the Fire

  • Step 10

    When it’s time to put the fire out, dump lots of water on it, stir it with a shovel, then dump more water on it

  • Step 11

    Make sure it is COLD before leaving the campsite. If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave!

Drown, stir, drown, and feel to fully put out your campfire

Fire Safety For Kids

You can introduce a whole new generation of children to Smokey Bear and his message of wildfire prevention. Teach the children in your life the steps they can play in preventing wildfires.