There’s nothing more frightening than the thought of waking up to the sound of a fire alarm going off, the thick smell of smoke and the sight of flames in your home. But in spite of our best efforts to prevent them, the reality is that many residential fires occur in the United States.
Cooking equipment is the main source of most house fires, but other major causes include heating equipment and electrical fires. Here are tips to escape smoke and fire in Springfield Missouri during a house fire.
Have A Fire Extinguisher Handy And Make Sure It Works
Only attempt to fight very small fires in the initial stages if you are certain you can do so safely. For example, putting out a fire on the stove before it engulfs the rest of your home. But never attempt to extinguish any fire if it threatens your safety. Fires can increase in size and intensity very quickly, blocking exits and creating a toxic atmosphere making it difficult to breathe. Make sure your fire extinguisher is tested often, so you know it will work in case of an emergency.
Don’t Rely On Smoke Detectors
Yell out loud to inform others in the home and make sure that they are also aware of the fire situation. Relying on smoke detectors to inform others is risky as the alarm could malfunction or have low batteries. Get yourself and your family members out of the house as quickly as possible.
Follow Your Family’s Fire Escape Plan
If your family hasn’t discussed a fire escape plan, you need to come up with one and practice occasional fire drills. Take the safest escape route while staying as low as possible. Cover your nose with a shirt or damp towel. You might have to crawl under the smoke to avoid inhaling it. We all have a deep fear of burning in a house fire, but it’s usually the smoke rather than the flames that are most deadly in a house fire.
Don’t Risk Your Life Saving Valuables
It can take as little as 30 seconds for a major house fire to get out of control. Fires can spread even faster in homes with synthetic furniture and furnishings. A few seconds could be the difference between life and death. Your laptop, wedding ring or the family scrapbooks aren’t worth risking your life.
Check Doors Before Opening Them
If smoke is coming through the cracks of a door, do not open it. Also, touch the door and doorknob with the back of your hand to check if it’s hot. If yes, then find an alternate way out through a different door or a window to avoid the flames and smoke behind that door.
Check Routes Before Following Them
If there isn’t smoke entering through the cracks of a door and the doorknob is cool, then open it and make sure the way out is safe. If a burst of heat and smoke pours into the room when you open the door, then close it and stay inside. If not, then get out of the room and follow the safest escape route. Stay as low as possible and find the nearest exit. Remember to close any doors behind you to prevent the fire from spreading.
Call For Help
If there’s no safe way to exit, then stay in the room and seal the door and air vents with sheets or wet towels to prevent smoke from entering. Then call 911, open a window and yell for help. Wave a bright piece of cloth or use a light so that the firefighters can spot you. Children should never hide under the bed or in the closet. They need to make it as easy as possible for the firefighters to find them.
Once You’re Safely Outside Stay Out
Once you are safely outside a burning home, go to the assigned meeting place that you’ve agreed to in your family’s fire escape plan and stay there. Never go back into a burning building under any circumstances. Let firefighters, who have the necessary training and equipment, save pets or any others who are still inside.
Hopefully you never have to experience a house fire, but if you do, follow these steps to do everything you can to make it out as quickly and safely as possible. Once your family has safely escaped from the smoke and fire and it’s time to start working on professional smoke odor removal and fire damage restoration, call the professionals at PuroClean Certified Restoration to do the job right.