How old, before allowed to light the fire?

[whenwhenwhen]

Came home from a walk this afternoon, DS had lit the fire in the living room. He's 14 and sensible, said he was cold so turned on the gas fireplace and was sitting in front of it watching the TV.

It made me think, what do other people allow their kids to do? What is normal? Ours is just a dial you turn and it turns on. He's seen us do it, so copied. It's going to be different if you have a log burner or electric fireplace.

Anyway, what do you all do / allow?

I'm honestly a bit surprised but thanks everyone. Yes he does cook in the kitchen using the gas hob but that is simpler, with less to go wrong.

If he'd have ever asked whether he could turn on the fire, then of course I'd have shown him, but he never mentioned it so I didn't think it was important / something he was interested in.

I do think we live in such a safety conscious society these days, and fire is one of the big risks that children and adults are warned against, but I'm surprised and interested that so many people start their children young with learning about it.

Jesus when I think of some of the things I was doing at 14. Putting the fire on is surely just something that you even do subconsciously at that age like second nature. I thought at first you meant he built and lit a fire outdoors or something.

Is it though? It wasn't in my family when I was young - we never had a fire - and my DS had never done it until yesterday, when he did it - so it was new to me/us.

No judgment on anyone else intended. It's probably another of those moments where you go "he's growing up" because it's something we've not seen before, as we've taken responsibility for controlling heating, but now he's doing it.

Mine helped lay and light a fire from 6. I’d let them do it ‘alone’ with me in the house from 9. I won’t leave them home alone until 12, so that age for lighting the wood burner properly alone.

Turning the heating on just requires a button push, so from about 4 (not that I’d have them home alone at that age)

I teach Beavers aged 6 and 7 to light actual fires with flint and kindling but wouldn't encourage them to do it without supervision till Scout age (10.5)

As for turning on the heating in the house I can't remember what age I let them do that but it's been years and my youngest is 11.

Does he know what gas smells like and what to do if he smells gas?

Does he know how to turn it off?

He should be capable of doing it.

Thanks @Validus and @MissBuffyAnneSummers that is really helpful specific information! I agree about the heating, there's not much to that. It's like turning up the numbers on a radiator, mine never needed showing for that - it's kind of self-explanatory!

Yes, @PuttingDownRoots, we talked and he said if the gas was going (which you can hear and smell) but the fire didn't light, he'd just turn the dial to the off position, and that would stop the gas flowing. He's used bunsen burners at school and said it was kind of the same and he's right.

Anyway, it's been ideal weather to have the fire on!