Plan For, And Escape Smoke & Fire In Your Home

Even a small fire can spread rapidly. An entire house can be engulfed in 3 minutes. You need to have a plan and be ready to act fast.

Here are some important tips to stay safe during a house fire…

REPLACE SMOKE DETECTORS EVERY 8 YEARS

Smoke detectors have a shelf life. They should be changed every 8-10 years according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

TEST YOUR SMOKE ALARMS; CHANGE BATTERIES

Smoke alarms should be on every level of the home. Make sure your smoke detectors work. Press the ‘test’ button. Change batteries annually, even if they are powered by your house AC wiring (most have backup batteries). Use a major holiday as a reminder – New Years for example, or when changing the clocks (daylight savings time, etc..).

KNOW HOW TO PUT OUT A GREASE FIRE

A fire needs 3 things to burn. Heat, Oxygen, and Fuel. A fire will keep growing until one of those is removed.

The safest way to put out a grease fire burning in a pan…

Remove the oxygen.

Here’s how…

Put on Oven Mitts to protect your hands.

Get the lid that fits the pan and ‘slide’ it across the top of the pan to smother the flames.
Or, use a cookie sheet and ‘slide’ it over the top of the burning pan.

Shut off the burner to stop adding heat.

Leave the pan alone, don’t move it, and don’t remove the lid until it has cooled completely.

Other ways to put out a grease fire…

Use a class B or BC or ABC fire extinguisher.

Note: A Fire Extinguisher will release a-lot of pressure, so start at a distance away and move towards the fire, rather than up-close spraying directly on to the burning grease which could tip the pan and spread the fire.

You could also…
Carefully pour a good amount of baking soda onto the grease fire.

Or…
Soak a towel under the faucet, wring out the excess dripping water, and drape over the burning grease pan to smother it. (This is very effective, quick and easy!)

Things NOT TO DO with a grease fire

DO NOT move or carry the pan outside, it will fan the flames and risk spreading.

DO NOT douse the grease fire with water, or milk, etc…
If you do, it will explode into a fireball.

DO NOT throw flour on to a grease fire because flour is combustible.

Example of water on a grease fire, Extinguished by using a wet towel

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS

Keep several fire extinguishers in the home. At least one in or near the kitchen and one in your bedroom.

HAVE AN ESCAPE PLAN AT HOME

At home, imagine yourself in each and every room, and understand how you would protect yourself or get out if a fire was near or blocking a doorway. Plan secondary escape routes in advance.

WINDOW ESCAPE LADDER

Keep a quick-escape ladder in every 2nd-story bedroom. Most are designed to quickly attach to a window ledge while the rungs hang down outside. These can be stored under a bed and ready to use if you are trapped and have no other safe alternative. Practice deploying the ladder.

TEST DOORS FOR HEAT

If a smoke alarm goes off while you’re in a closed room, first feel the doorknob, hinges, or the door itself for heat before opening. Use the back of your hand because it’s easier to accurately determine the temperature this way. If the door is warm, use your secondary exit. Know that doors can get hot enough to actually burn you without appearing to be very hot at all.

HAVE AN ESCAPE PLAN WHILE STAYING AT A HOTEL

If traveling and staying at a hotel (or wherever), take a few seconds and think about how you would escape a fire. Know where the nearest exits are. This is important (most people don’t give it a thought). Always bring a flashlight with you and keep it next to your bed.

REACT

When a smoke alarm sounds unexpectedly, your primary objective is to get out of the building safely. Do not give a thought to collecting any of your things. Seconds count – so get out.

STAY LOW TO THE GROUND

If the door is cool, open it slowly and take a look at the conditions on the other side. If there is a lot of smoke and it’s banked up towards the ceiling, stay low to the ground and crawl to get yourself out. Hot smoke is toxic, scorching, and rises towards the ceiling so keeping close to the floor can help you avoid inhaling or being burnt.

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SMOKE INHALATION

If necessary, cover your nose and mouth with a wet t-shirt, rag, etc.. to help to filter the products of combustion which lead to smoke inhalation. Smoke inhalation causes people to become disoriented and can even render a person unconscious.

GET TO WHERE PEOPLE CAN SEE YOU

If you are trapped in an upper floor room, do whatever you can do to get to an area where people will be able to hear you or see you. You can take a sheet or something else – and hang it out the window to signal that you need help when the first responders get there. Be sure to close the window because leaving it open draws fire towards the fresh oxygen. Use a towel or anything else at the bottom of the door to prevent the smoke from coming underneath.

STOP, DROP, ROLL, COVER

If you are on fire, stop, drop, and roll and cover your face.

A Complete Guide to Home Fire Prevention and Safety

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