You and your family should have a strategy to get out of the house if a fire does occur. Create an evacuation plan and ensure that every person in the house understands that plan. Should anyone in your family find themselves in a fire, this way they will feel more prepared to deal with.
Know Your Fire And Be Prepared
There are different types of fires so you need to be prepared to handle each one. In a home environment, the most common fires are wood, paper, cloth fires; and electrical fires. If you want to be prepared for both, make sure you have the proper extinguishers for each one. You can learn more about which fire extinguisher works on which fire by signing up for our newsletter.
The worst thing to do in any disaster is to panic. Your mind will be able to adapt to a situation and solve a problem much more effectively if it is thinking straight.
Containing The Smoke
If there is a fire in a room and you know where it is, try to close it off so that the smoke doesn’t spread to the rest of the house. Containing the smoke in one area will give you more time to handle the crisis or evacuate the building.
The first place to move when you are trapped by a fire is to the window. The first reason is that you can get oxygen more easily. The main reason is so that you can alert others to your plight. Call 999 at the first opportunity.
When You Have To Escape
There are times when a fire is just too severe for you to wait for help. In cases like this, you will have to jump out the window. This will prove dangerous if you are not on the ground floor. First, throw out as many soft blankets and cushions as you can find and try to position them on the ground below you. Next, hang out the window and lower yourself as much as you can before letting go and dropping to the ground. The safest course of action is to make sure you own a fire escape rope ladder, as this way you can get to safety quickly and with ease.
Beware
If a fire starts behind a closed door, that fire is going to suck up all the oxygen in the room or building. Opening a door can cause what is called a back draft. This acts as an explosion because the fire will rush towards the opening door to where the oxygen is, and injure or kill the person opening the door.
Never pour water over a fire that was caused by an electrical appliance or flammable liquids. This will only serve to spread the fire even more.
Prevention Is Better Than Cure
In all your actions, make sure you prevent home fires by becoming aware of the dangers and risks. Always ensure you have a working smoke alarm- the earlier a fire is detected, the less damage is likely to be caused.