Fire Safety

General Fire Safety

Take precautions

About 3,000 people die in residential fires each year in the United States. In nearly two-thirds of these fires, smoke alarms were either missing or not working properly.

• Install a smoke alarm on every floor of your home. Check the batteries once a month, and change the batteries at least twice a year.
  For more about smoke alarms, click here!
• Keep fire extinguishers where they are most likely to be needed.
• Keep matches out of children’s reach.
• Always keep space heaters away from curtains and other flammable materials.
• Install guards around fireplaces, radiators, pipes and wood-burning stoves.

Practice an escape plan

Regardless of the cause of fires, everyone needs to know how to respond. Only about one-quarter of American families have actually developed and practiced a home fire escape plan. Gather your family, roommates or coworkers together at a convenient time to discuss a fire escape plan. Practice your escape plan at least twice a year.

• Sketch a floor plan of all rooms, including doors, windows and hallways. Include all floors of the home.
• Draw the escape plan with arrows showing two ways, if possible, to get out of each room. Sleeping areas are most important, since many fires happen at night.
• When escaping a burning building, plan to use stairs only, never elevators. Consider storing escape ladders for sleeping areas on the second or third floor.
• Plan where everyone will meet after leaving the building.
• Designate who should call the fire department and from which phone. Plan to leave the burning building first and then call from a phone nearby. If a phone is available, call the fire department—even if rescuers are already outside—and tell the call taker your location.

Escape safely

Remember and use the following guidelines to escape from fire:

• If smoke is present, crawl low to the ground. Because smoke rises in a fire, breathable air is often close to the floor.
• Make sure children can open windows, go down a ladder and lower themselves to the ground. Practice with them. Always lower children to the ground first before you go out a window.
• If you are escaping through a closed door, feel the door before opening it. If it is warm, use your second way out.
• Get out quickly. Never, under any circumstances, return to a burning building.
• If smoke, heat, or flames block your exit routes, stay in the room with the door closed. Stuff door cracks and vents with wet towels, rags or clothing. Signal for help using a bright-colored cloth at the window. If there is a telephone in the room, call the fire department and tell them where you are.