| News Release |
| Release Date: |
05/01/2008 |
Release Time: |
4:57 PM |
| Contact: |
Division Chief Mike Hatield
Cathedral City Fire Department
760-770-8204
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Subject: |
FIRE AGENCIES UNIFY FOR NATIONAL ARSON AWARENESS WEEK |
Full Text:
CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department, in cooperation with the Palm Springs Fire Department and Cathedral City Fire Department, invites the public and media to attend a joint press conference at 9 a.m. for National Arson Awareness Week on May 6, 2008. The location of the press conference is the Cathedral City Elementary School in the multi-purpose room; 69300 Converse Road X Paseo Malaga in Cathedral City, CA (TB 787-E6). National Arson Awareness Week runs from May 4, 2008 to May 11, 2008.
This year's message will address the dangers of novelty lighters, which are often made to look like toys or cartoon characters and attract the attention of children. Novelty lighters are very popular and typically displayed at convenience stores in clear view of young children. Tragedy often strikes when a child plays with a novelty lighter as if it were a toy.
An estimated 13,900 structure fires caused by children playing with fire were reported in the U.S. in 2002, causing 210 civilian deaths, 1,250 civilian injuries and $399 million in direct damage, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.
Listed below are a few facts regarding children and the use of novelty lighters:
* The average age of children that start fires by playing with fire is five.
* The average age of children that are fatally injured is four.
* The median age for non-fatal injuries is late teens.
As the popularity of novelty lighters grows, so will the tragedies. For more information, please contact Ronda Guillaume, Cathedral City Fire Department at 760-770-8208.
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