Surviving a Fire

Protect Your Family from A House Fire

You wake up in the middle of the night gasping for air. There is a shrill siren blaring in your head and as you sit up to look towards the door the light from your window illuminates the mass piles of smoke filter under the door and into your room. Your home is on fire. How do you get you and your family out alive?

No matter how old fashioned or modest you are do not try to get dressed, you will be risking valuable seconds just to show up outside fully dressed in something "appropriate". Before you full on grasp the doorknob of your bedroom check the door for any signs of heat, quickly tap the doorknob to make sure it isn't a blaze with heat. If you find the door to be very hot DO NOT open it, the fire is very close if not licking at the wood already. Get away from the door and opt for the window instead. If you are too high up in your home or building seal the door as best as you can by placing your sheets, or other form of fabric, between your door and the floor preventing much more smoke from entering the room. Get to a phone to call for help or call out the window for assistance.

If the door feels cool and not hot whatsoever you are okay to open it now. Be ready to close the door quickly if you need to and also be prepared to get low to the ground. It's a good idea to of found something to mask your face with so you inhale the least amount of smoke as possible.
As always, have a plan ready for where you will go and what exactly you will try to do to get out of your blazing home. If you have a family be sure they all know how to get out of the home safely and that each of you has alternate routes. Form a meeting place, such as the sidewalk of the next door neighbors or the tree in the backyard, someplace that is open and away from the home that every one of your family can get to easily in the event you all have to take different exit routes.

You learned it in school and hopefully you've never had to initiate the Stop Drop & Roll move. It will be a life saving stunt you can do to save your own life if any part of you catches on fire during your exit. Fire can't breathe without air and with you rolling around on the ground it is sure to put itself out leaving you unscathed. To successfully execute the move you must stop immediately in your tracks, drop to the floor and roll over and over to put the flames out. If your physical nature inhibits you from getting completely to the floor find a large towel or blanket to wrap around yourself to deprive those flames essential oxygen.

The same rules apply for someone else around you. Get them to the floor and make sure they are rolling back and fourth to deter those flames from burning them too badly or cover them completely in a large blanket or something else that can cover their entire body.

 To prevent a fire be sure every room in your home has a smoke detector (you can skip the bathrooms, you know I love my steaming hot showers and I don't need a detector going off every night!). Get at least 2  fire extinguishers and make sure the entire family knows how to use it. Place one in the kitchen and one in or near the majority of the bedrooms. You must keep them fresh so follow directions and be aware of the expiration dates.

Again, I cannot express how important it is to have a plan of action if something like this strikes your home. If you're on a second floor, or higher, think about a window ladder, especially for kids. You must expect to not be able to communicate with the other members of your family so having a set plan, that you have well practiced will save lives and time in the event of a home fire. Keep important documents, such as birth certificates, social security cards, stocks & bonds and so on, in a ready-to-grab container close to your window or door that will be easy to remember to pick up on your way out, or invest in a fire proof safe for  such items.

Just as you would not waste time to put a decent pair of clothes on do not waste time grabbing things you think you can't live without. Most everything is replaceable except for your life. Focus on getting you and your family members out of the home alive, you'll have each other in the end and that is what's most important!

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