Cotton and Fire: Understanding Flammability & Safety

Made up of cellulose fibers, cotton is the most flammable of all natural and synthetic fibers. It ignites easily and burns with a hot flame, which is why it can be dangerous in situations in which the wearer comes into contact with a flame or heat source. Because cotton is soft, washable and comfortable, it is widely used for many types of clothing, including uniforms, work clothes and babies' and young children's clothes.

Flammability Factors

• Lightweight woven cotton is more likely to burst into flames than heavier cotton fabric that has a denser weave. And loose-fitting clothing catches fire more than fitted garments. Plus, when cotton is blended with synthetic fibers, it can actually be more dangerous than pure cotton because of the way it burns and adheres to the skin.

Protective Legislation

• Alerted to the prevalence of burn victims who were injured when wearing cotton, the U.S. Congress passed the Flammable Fabrics Act in 1953, requiring cotton uniforms, work clothing and children's sleepwear to be fire-resistant. The standards were also extended to carpets, rugs and mattresses but not to other home textiles such as curtains.

Making Fabric Fire-Resistant

• To comply with legislation, cotton fabric is coated with a chemical retardant. Uniforms and other work clothes and loose-fitting children's clothing and sleepwear have fire-resistant finishes. Fire-resistant fabric is hard to ignite and will burn more slowly than untreated fabric. But it will still burn.

A New Variety of Cotton

• According to the National Cotton Council of America, kids' snug-fitting sleepwear is now manufactured with fabric made from molecularly altered cotton fibers. This new variety of cotton is fire-resistant without adding chemicals.

Labeling

• Federal regulations require that clothing with fire-retardant properties be clearly labeled so consumers know what they're purchasing.