How to Prepare for and Escape a House Fire
On average, approximately 353,500 to 358,500 residential fires occur each year in the United States, resulting in over 3,000 fatalities. These statistics highlight the importance of fire safety and prevention measures that residents must take.
House Safety
These statistics are especially tragic because most home fires can be prevented if certain protocols are followed. Only by understanding the rapid spread and extreme heat of fire can we truly protect our families.
Characteristics of Fire
In 30 seconds, a small flame can get completely out of control.
Fire can produce temperatures that can exceed 600°F at eye level.
Fire generates thick black smoke that can severely reduce visibility.
Fire uses up oxygen you need and produces smoke and poisonous gases that kill.
Causes of Home Fires
is the leading cause of residential fires.
can ignite fire when an occupant falls asleep with a lit cigarette.
can ignite fire when placed too close to furniture or other combustible materials.
can cause fires if sparks are not contained by proper screens or glass doors.
House Safety
#1 Implement Prevention Methods
Cooking
- Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
- Wear short, close-fitting, or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking.
- Do not cook if you are sleepy, have been drinking alcohol, or have taken medicine that makes you drowsy.
- Keep children away from cooking areas by enforcing a "kid-free zone" of 3 feet around the stove.
- Position barbecue grills at least 10 feet away from siding and deck railings, and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.
Smoking
- If you smoke, smoke outside. Most home fires caused by smoking materials start inside the home. Put your cigarettes out in a can filled with sand.
- Make sure cigarettes and ashes are out. Ensure that cigarettes are fully extinguished in an ashtray.
- Soak cigarette butts and ashes in water before throwing them away. Never toss hot cigarette butts or ashes in the trash can.
- Check for cigarette butts. Chairs and sofas catch on fire fast and burn fast.
- Avoid placing ashtrays on upholstered furniture. If people have been smoking in the home, check for cigarettes under cushions.
- Avoid smoking in areas where supplemental oxygen is used, as high oxygen levels can intensify a fire.
- Be alert - don’t smoke in bed! If you are sleepy, have been drinking, or have taken medicine that makes you drowsy, put your cigarette out first.
Electrical & Appliance Safety
- Frayed wires can cause fires. Replace all worn, old, or damaged appliance cords immediately, and do not run cords under rugs or furniture.
- Buy electrical products evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
- If an appliance has a three-prong plug, use it only in a three-slot outlet. Never force it to fit into a two-slot outlet or extension cord.
- Use electrical extension cords wisely; never overload extension cords or wall sockets.
- Immediately shut off, then professionally replace, light switches that are hot to the touch and lights that flicker.
Portable Space Heater
- Keep combustible objects at least three feet away from portable heating devices.
- Buy only heaters evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
- Check to make sure the portable heater has a thermostat control mechanism and will switch off automatically if the heater falls over.
- Check with your local fire department on the legality of kerosene heater use in your community.
- Only use crystal clear K-1 kerosene in kerosene heaters. Never overfill it. Use the heater in a well-ventilated room.
Fireplace & Woodstove
- Inspect and clean woodstove pipes and chimneys annually and check monthly for damage or obstructions.
- Never burn trash, paper, or green wood.
- Use a fireplace screen heavy enough to stop rolling logs and big enough to cover the entire opening of the fireplace to catch flying sparks.
- Make sure the fire is completely out before leaving the house or going to bed.
- Store cooled ashes in a tightly sealed metal container outside the home.
Children
- Take the mystery out of fire-play by teaching children that fire is a tool, not a toy.
- Store matches and lighters out of children's reach and sight, preferably in a locked cabinet.
- Teach children not to pick up matches or lighters they may find. Instead, they should tell an adult immediately.
- Never leave children unattended near operating stoves or burning candles, even for a short time.
- Check under beds and in closets for burned matches, which may indicate that your child has been playing with fire.
#2 Make an Escape Plan
a. Create a map that includes:
- every bedroom
- every door
- every window
- every hallway
- every exit
b. Find two ways out of each room
- use the door if not blocked by fire or smoke
- use the window if door is blocked
- windows, screens, and security bars need to open easily
- collapsible ladder must be stored by each window
- each family member must know how to do these things
c. Help each other out
- this includes young children, disabled family members, and pets
- assign a parent/adult to each
- once parents are outnumbered, older children should help
d. If there's time
- turn off the gas valve, assigning this task ahead of time
- get your grab & go bags and binder
- if you're awakened, assume there is no time
e. Once outside
- go to a pre-determined meeting location safely away from your property
- call 911 afterwards – you may need every second to escape
#3 Practice Your Plan
Though there will never be any experience like the real thing, practice will help your family become familiar with steps and maneuvers should they need to employ them.
- Discuss your plan and run drills twice a year.
- Teach how to stay low to the floor while escaping.
- Teach how to feel around the home in the dark or with eyes closed.
- Practice using all the different fire scenarios you can think of.
- Repetition will help cement your family’s fire safety plan.
- Adjust your plan as the kids get older or if you move to a new house.
#4 Fire Safety Products
A properly installed and maintained smoke alarm and fire alarm will alert you to a fire in your home. They significantly increase the likelihood of you and your family surviving a home fire.
Smoke Alarm
A smoke alarm is a stand-alone device that has a sensor, a sounder, and a power supply to detect and warn of smoke. They are required by law in all states.
Fire Alarm
A smoke detector, on the other hand, is a component of a fire alarm. Once a fire is detected, it sends a signal to a fire alarm system to trigger an alarm that can be heard across the entirety of a building or site. You are not required by law to have a fire alarm in your home, though they are usually mandatory in larger or specialized buildings.
Smoke alarms for special needs
There are several types of smoke alarms available for people who are hearing or visually impaired.
Visually impaired
It’s important to have an audible alarm that emits intermittent sounds—providing short pauses between beeps—so that visually impaired individuals can also hear spoken instructions or the voices of others.
Hearing impaired
Smoke alarms with a vibrating pad or flashing light are available. You can contact your local fire department for more information. These alarms can be connected to the conventional system and placed in different locations within the home.
Caring for your smoke alarm
- Replace batteries in battery-powered and hard-wired smoke alarms at least once a year (except non-replaceable 10-year lithium batteries)
- Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement. The U.S. Fire Administration recommends installing smoke alarms both inside and outside of sleeping areas.
- Always follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions when installing smoke alarms.
- Replace the entire smoke alarm unit every 8-10 years or according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Don’t install too close to the oven/stove.
- Never disable a smoke alarm while cooking – it can be a deadly mistake. Instead, open a window or door and press the “hush” button, or temporarily relocate the alarm a few feet away to reduce false alarms.
- Caregivers are encouraged to check the smoke alarms of those who are unable to do it themselves.
Other fire safety equipment
Fire Extinguisher
It’s smart to have a fire extinguisher in your home, on different levels of your home, but it does you no good unless you know how to use it.
- Only those trained in the proper use and maintenance of fire extinguishers should consider using them when appropriate.
- Contact your local fire department for information on training in your area and what kind to buy for your home.
Smoke Alarm with Exterior Strobe Light
Smoke alarms with a strobe light outside the home to catch the attention of neighbors and emergency call systems for summoning help are also available.
#5 Follow These Safety Tips
- Always sleep with the door closed to slow the spread and strength of flames.
- Always leave a pair of shoes and a flashlight at each family member’s bedside.
- Teach children not to hide from firefighters.
- Consider installing an automatic fire sprinkler system in your residence.
- Ask your local fire department to inspect your residence for fire safety and prevention.
- Keep a fire extinguisher in an easily accessible location and learn how to use it properly.
- Clean out the dryer vent and storage areas. Do not let lint or trash such as old newspapers and magazines accumulate.
- Have a professional clean and repair chimney, flue pipes, connectors, and gas vents.
- Keep the shut-off switch for oxygen equipment near your bed or chair, so you can get to it quickly if there is a fire.
- Store weed killers, pesticides, and flammable products away from heat sources.
- Have a professional repair defective electrical wiring and leaky gas connections.
House Safety
#1 Assess Your Situation - Then React
Here are different types of scenarios that could play out. Know how to respond to each one.
a. You see the fire start
- Remember your training with your fire extinguisher and use it.
- Afterwards, call the fire department if the fire spreads to surrounding walls, cabinets, or fixtures because wiring could be damaged and should be inspected by a professional.
b. You cannot extinguish it yourself
- You and your family need to head out.
- Each individual should remember their designated responsibilities and retrieve the child or pet assigned to them.
- Take your grab & go bags and binder if time safely permits.
- Call 911 once you are outside.
c. You are awakened by the fire
- Assume you have no time – you and your family need to head out.
- Each individual should remember their designated responsibilities and retrieve the child or pet assigned to them.
- Family members meet at the agreed upon location outside.
- Call 911 once you are outside.
#2 Cautions to Watch For
Heavy smoke
- Get low and crawl under any smoke to your exit - heavy toxic smoke and poisonous gases tend to accumulate near the ceiling.
- If there is smoke blocking your door or first way out, use your second way out.
Doors
- Before opening a door, feel the doorknob and door. If either is hot, leave the door closed and use your second way out.
- If there is smoke coming around the door, leave the door closed and use your second way out.
- If you open a door, open it slowly. Be ready to shut it quickly if heavy smoke or fire is present.
Your clothes catch fire
- Stop, drop, and roll: Stop immediately, drop to the ground, and cover your face with your hands. Roll over and over or back and forth until the fire is out.
- If you or someone else cannot stop, drop, and roll, smother the flames with a blanket or towel.
- Use cool water to treat the burn immediately for 3 to 5 minutes. Cover with a clean, dry cloth. Get medical help right away by calling 9-1-1 or the fire department.
#3 If You are Trapped
when you can't get out
- Close the door and cover vents and cracks around doors with cloth or tape to keep smoke out.
- Call 9-1-1 or your fire department. Give your location and signal for help at the window with a light-colored cloth or a flashlight.
when you can't help others
- Leave the home and call 9-1-1 or the fire department. Tell the emergency operator where the person is located.
- If pets are trapped inside your home, tell firefighters right away.
House Safety
Important Post-Fire Steps
After a fire, it is important to take the following steps to ensure your safety and begin the recovery process
- Call 911 to report the fire.
- Give first aid where needed.
- Stay away from your home and do not attempt to re-enter until fire officials have declared it safe.
- Contact family and friends to let them know you are okay.
- People and animals that are seriously injured or burned should be transported to professional medical or veterinary help immediately.
- Find a safe place to stay.
- Notify your landlord if you rent.
- Contact your insurance agent or a public adjuster to represent you to your insurance company.
- Get a copy of the fire report.
- Take pictures.
Grab & Go Binder
Hopefully you are able to get hold of your grab & go binder as you evacuate your home. The binder will have your insurance policy information and so much more. If you are unable to take the binder out of the home, having it stored in the cloud will give you access to the information you need. If you don't want to do that for security reasons, seriously consider a fireproof safe.