Unfortunately, fire season is now nearly all year long for Southern Californians—and December, with all the holiday festivities, is the leading month for home fires in the U.S.
Fire safety is an important thing for any family to review together in order to be prepared in the event of emergency but it is of particular importance for families with children or adults on the autism spectrum (ASD).
Yet fire preparation is typically not a focus for parents who have children with ASD. There are too many other priorities that seem more immediate. But not being prepared can have serious consequences.
Children with autism may face unique fire safety challenges due to sensory sensitivities—such as hiding in response to alarms, fleeing the scene due to overwhelming sensory input from emergency services and difficulty communicating with emergency responders—which can complicate evacuation and rescue efforts.
Preparedness is More Urgent Than Ever
On average in the U.S. in 2023, a home structure fire was reported every 95 seconds, resulting in a home fire injury every 52 minutes and a fire-related death every three hours, according to an October 2024 report issued by the National Fire Prevention Association.
California has the highest number of homes at risk of any state due to a hot, dry climate that creates ideal conditions for fire and a large population living in fire-prone areas. It also has a significantly higher prevalence of children being diagnosed with ASD (one in 19) vs. the national average (one in 31), according to the CDC*.
Every Second Counts!
Fire moves fast and a room can be overtaken in just 3 to 4 minutes, with smoke inhalation often the primary cause of injury or death. Having a clear plan can save lives. Easterseals Southern California has developed Your Helpful Guide to Family Fire Safety With Autism-Friendly Tips, which provides practical steps that work for all families, including those with children or adults on the autism spectrum.
Effective fire safety skills can be taught to children with ASD through behavioral interventions:
Visual Supports & Clear Communication:
- Social Stories: Create social stories with pictures that explain what a fire is, why it's dangerous and what to do, including identifying exits and a meeting place.
- Label Exits: Place visual cues or arrows above doors to highlight the escape route.
- Awareness Stickers: Place a first responder awareness sticker near the front door of the residence and on your child’s bedroom door.
Accustom Your Child to the Sound:
- Alarms: If loud sounds are frightening, record the sound of your alarm and play it at a low volume during practice. Gradually increase the volume over time.
- False Alarms: Don’t just turn it off. Utilize false alarms to practice. Getting used to hearing the alarm and knowing what to do is so important.
- Vocal Smoke Detector: Consider buying an alarm that records your voice instructing your child to get out of the house.
Practice, Practice, Practice!
- Make it Routine: Conduct regular drills. Make it part of your routine with a fun name like “Safety Drill Saturday” or “Operation Get Out.”
- Break It Down: Divide complex concepts into smaller, manageable steps and practice each one. Include instruction on “Get Low and Go” and “Stop, Drop and Roll.”
- Call for Help: If your child struggles with speech, teach alternative ways for them to call for help, like learning to blow a whistle to call a firefighter to them during an emergency.
- Assign Roles: Who will help each child, who will call 911, who will grab the Go-Bag (download checklist), who will get the pets if safe to do so.
- Meeting Place: Choose a safe, recognizable meeting spot outside the home, like a mailbox or a specific tree. Always end there.
- Reinforce Message #1: No going back inside for any reason! Not even a pet. Let firefighters handle the situation. Wait until an adult says it’s safe to go back in.
- Enlist Trusted Neighbors: Share your fire plan, where your child’s room is located, your meeting spot and how to help if they see your child outside alone. Consider giving them a key to your house and getting other neighbors’ cell phone numbers if you don’t have them already.
- Share Tips: Let everyone know about any characteristics specific to your child, such as communication style and an calming strategies. Do they have a history of hiding in a “safe space” or putting on noise cancelling headphones?
- Visit Your Local Fire Station: Take your child to meet firefighters and to see their trucks and equipment up close, so they view firefighters as helpers not scary figures.
- Introduce Yourself: Inform your local fire department about your child's needs and inquire if your community has an Access and Functional Needs (AFN) Registry, a voluntary disaster registry that assists first responders in identifying individuals who may require additional support during emergencies.
Connect With Your Community:
Do it Now!
Sign up now for alerts, AFN registries & other emergency preparedness services in your community:
Find more information on fire safety for people with disabilities, who comprise 30% of fatalities in residential buildings (2017-2019), from the U.S. Fire Administration.
Don’t wait for an emergency to start the conversation! Review your fire safety plan today, walk through your home escape routes and share Easterseal’s Family Fire Safety Guide With Autism-Friendly Tips with others in your community. A few minutes of preparation now can save lives later.
*It's important to note that while California's higher prevalence rate of ASD is significant, it does not necessarily indicate a greater incidence but may be influenced by factors such as more comprehensive screening practices, increased awareness, enhanced access to diagnostic services and reporting procedures.
