Campfires continue to be one of the leading cause of kids’ burns

Campfire burns continue to be one of the leading causes of serious burns treated at the Queensland Children’s Hospital (QCH), prompting calls for heightened vigilance these Easter holidays.

In 2023, 88 children were treated at the QCH for campfire, coal or firepit burns; a further 68 injuries were caused by hot noodles or soup and 13 from the exhaust of a car or motorbike.

Children most at risk were toddlers up to four years old, accounting for more than 60 per cent of total cases.

With Easter holidays the peak camping season across the state, Children’s Health Queensland is reminding holidaymakers the importance of campfire safety.

QCH Director of Burns and Trauma, Professor Roy Kimble said the number of campfire burns admissions remains high year on year, with many cases sadly preventable.

“In 2023, the number of campfire burns we treated had increased by almost 63 per cent from 2019 (54 cases), with a number of cases requiring surgery,” Professor Kimble said.

“In addition to the trauma of the initial injury, if a burn causes scarring, children may also require ongoing surgery throughout their childhood to maintain function in the injured limbs.”

While lighting a campfire and sustaining it may appear a seemingly straight forward task, the safe assembly, ignition, monitoring and extinguishing of the fire is incredibly important.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) Director of Regional Operations Matthew Bulow said you can protect yourself and fellow campers by practicing good campfire safety.

“Stick to organic material like paper, kindling and dry wood when lighting your fire – don’t use any flammable liquids or accelerants as this could lead to you losing control of the flames,” he said.

“Always make sure you extinguish your campfire with water instead of burying it with sand or dirt which just traps heat and creates a very dangerous hazard for anyone walking through the area.”

This hazard can result in serious burns and is the cause of most campfire burns injuries treated at QCH.

It’s also paramount that children are never left unsupervised near a campfire.

If an injury does occur, Professor Kimble said the severity of a burn, and the need for skin grafting, could be dramatically reduced by acting quickly and administering the correct first aid.

“The best first-aid treatment for a burn is to place the injured area under cool running water for 20 minutes and seek medical treatment immediately by phoning 000,” he said.

“While it is ideal to apply first aid immediately, if running water is not available at the campsite, it is still beneficial to apply cold running water up to three hours after the injury.

“It’s important never to use ice, oil, butter or ointments to treat a burn as this can further damage the skin.”

For more information on campfire safety, visit: Outdoor fire safety | Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (qfes.qld.gov.au)

ENDS

Media contact: t: +61 409 417 194 e: chqnews@health.qld.gov.au

Source: Queensland Children’s Hospital. Reported data range: 2023