Curiosity can burn a child.

Children who want to know what is cooking on the stove or why a candle flickers might suffer a severe burn if certain precautions are not taken by adults.

It doesn't take a fire to burn a child, said Diane Guerttman, coordinator for SAFE KIDS of Central Wyoming. They can also be burned by hot liquids, appliances and electrical currents.

Parents should be more aware of the potential for burns in the winter because of certain activities linked to this time of year, Guerttman said.

"Kids are playing in the home on days like today when it is windy and cold," Guerttman said. "The home becomes a real danger place. This time of year there needs to be extra precautions."

People enjoy taking warm baths in the winter, Guerttman said, and a child can be burned if the water gets too hot. If a child is left alone for just a moment in the tub, he can turn on the hot water.

During the winter, people often use space heaters, which Guerttman said can set fires and burn children.

It is critical to prevent burns in children, said Bob Fawcett, fire prevention officer for Casper Fire-EMS.

"The same burn for an adult is much more damaging for a child," Fawcett said.

He said children have a lot less skin surface area.

Children can get scalded by hot water more easily than adults. If water is 130 degrees, a child can suffer a severe burn.

He warns parents about putting a baby or young child's bottle and food in a microwave. If the milk in the bottle in too hot, it can burn the baby internally.

It is hard to say how often children experience burns in Casper, Fawcett said. The fire department usually doesn't see these burns because parents don't report them or they take their children straight to the emergency room.

The Wyoming Medical Center does not have a burn unit, said Shauna VanderLinden, spokeswoman for the hospital. The emergency room treats only minor burns and stabilizes patients with more serious burns for transport to Greeley, Colo. or Salt Lake City.

Nationwide, about 116,000 burn-related injuries occur to children every year.

Fawcett said he knows of a few children who have touched or pulled a hot iron down on them and gotten burned badly.

Friends of Guerttman from Iowa just lost their entire home because their young son accidentally threw a tissue into a candle.

"They probably didn't realize a candle was such a danger," Guerttman said.

Guerttman said the snap, crackle and pop of fire intrigues children. They also want to see what is connected to the long cord.

If cords aren't hidden, a child can be electrocuted, burned or hurt.

In the winter, people spend a lot of time in the kitchen, Guerttman said. She said it is a real homey, warm spot. Kids want to be in the kitchen with their parents.

They see a pot handle hanging off the stove, and they want to know what is cooking. They pull the handle off the stove dropping scalding water all over them.

"You hear about it all too often," Guerttman said. "Kids love to cook, love to get involved. It's just the nature of a child's curiosity."

Contact health reporter Allison Rupp at (307) 266-0534 or allison.rupp@trib.com.

Breakouts:

Tips for parents:

- See the world from your child's eyes. Get on your hands and knees and look for anything that might pose a danger to your child. This includes items on the coffee table, pans on the stove top or cords to electronics.

- Turn your water heater to 120 degrees or lower. If you are unsure of what temperature your water is, run your hot water for several minutes.Stick a thermometer in it and if it is above 120 degrees, the water heater needs to be turned down.

- Keep pot and pan handles away from the edge of the stove. Remove any towels hanging from the edge of counters.

- Put candles out of the reach of children.

- Tuck cords to appliances out of sight from children. Tape them to the ground if they must be visible.

- Turn curling irons, hot rollers and hair dryers off and put them away after you are done using them.

- Read directions for space heaters thoroughly. Each space heater has different recommendations for safe use.

- Let a child's food cool after putting it in the microwave. Try not to microwave a baby bottle full of liquid. Instead, fill a cup with hot water and put the bottle in it. This will ensure the bottle heats evenly and does not get too hot.

- Supervise children as much as possible, especially when in the bathtub or around appliances.

- Check smoke detectors. A good rule of thumb, check them when you change clocks for daylight savings time.

- Call Bob Fawcett, fire prevention officer with Casper Fire-EMS, at (307) 235-8223 with questions or for more tips.

- Diane Guerttman, of SAFE KIDS of Central Wyoming, and Bob Fawcett, of Casper Fire-EMS.

In case of a burn:

Most burns in young children should be checked by a medical professional. If it is a minor burn, parents can take these steps:

- Have the child run the burn under cold water for a significant amount of time until the pain stops.

- Don't put any lotions on the burn right after it happens, even if the lotion says it is for a burn. They will insulate the burn and make it worse.

- Give the wound some air. After the skin cools, it is OK to use lotions.

- Watch for an infection. Burns become infected easily.

- Error on the side of caution when dealing with burns in children and get them checked out.