Toylike Lighters Targeted by Arson Awareness Week
Saying toylike or novelty lighters "have been responsible for injuries, deaths, and accidents across the nation," the U.S. Fire Administration has created a page for this year's Arson Awareness Week (May 4-10) to educate the public about this threat.
"Many of these lighters look like animals, miniature cars, mobile phones, cameras, fishing lures, stacks of coins, markers, and doll accessories," the agency states on the page, www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/subjects/arson/arson_awareness.shtm, which proves its point with two photos -- one shows a lighter that looks like a toy frog, the other showing someone holding two similar small fire engines in her hands; one is toy and the other is a lighter, according to the caption. "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," according to the page.
The site links to a poster for the week, recent legislation in various states, and related content.