While campfires can provide endless hours of warmth and enjoyment, they can also be dangerous if left unattended. When campfire fun is done, it’s important to put out the flames and “cool your coals.”

That is the important safety message being communicated on posters created by the Burn Prevention Outreach Team at The Hospital for Sick Children and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

Camping is a longstanding summer tradition and campfires play a big role in shaping that experience. By creating the “cool your coals” poster and making it available to schools, daycare centres, camps and medical offices, SickKids and Sunnybrook hope to encourage campfire safety best practices and prevent injuries.

If a child falls into the coals of a fire that has not been properly extinguished, they may suffer from extensive burns to the hands and feet. Deep burns can result in weeks of dressing changes, skin graft operations and years of rehabilitation.

Each year, SickKids cares for more than 120 infants and children with burn injuries. Help prevent burn injuries by making sure you “cool your coals” by pouring one or two buckets of water over your campfire.

For more information, please call the SickKids Burn Prevention Outreach Team at 416 813 4970.

Click here for a  PDF version of the poster.