Anchorage Fire Department
Press Release

5.05.08

National Arson Awareness Week … May 4^th – 10^th
Toylike Lighters: Playing with Fire

The theme for this year’s Arson Awareness Week is “Toylike Lighters—Playing with Fire.” The goal is to focus public attention on the dangers of these lighters in the hands of children.

Novelty lighters that resemble toys have been responsible for injuries, deaths, and accidents across the United States.  Many of these lighters look like animals, cars, phones, cameras, fishing lures, coins, markers, and doll accessories. One lighter is nearly identical to the popular rubber ducky bath toy—it even quacks! There are also toylike and novelty lighters that look like tools such as tape measures, drills, hammers, and paint brushes. Ironically, there are even lighters that mimic a Dalmatian donning a fire helmet, a red fire truck, or fire extinguishers.

All of our local fire officials, the Alaska Fire Chiefs Association along with the Alaska State Fire Marshal as well as fire professionals from across the nation want to make our citizens aware of the problems with novelty lighters and how dangerous they are to our children and to adults. Even local merchants are taking a stand against novelty lighters. OK Lumber/ Ace Hardware manager Jordan Halden has pulled all the novelty lighters off his shelves and has stopped selling them. 

For more information, please call Niki Pereira with Firestoppers at 346-2888 or visit http://www.muni.org/fire.