DID YOU KNOW?
Each year, fires kill hundreds of people and injure thousands in the United States.
Eighty-two percent of all fire deaths occur in the home.
Fires and burns continue to be a major cause of unintentional injury death at home. Particularly at risk are the very young and the very old.
The leading cause of fire deaths is careless smoking.
Having a working smoke detector more than doubles one’s chances of surviving a fire.
Adults 65 and older are more than twice as likely to die in fires as the overall population. (U.S. Fire Administration study)
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PREVENT A FIRE?
Following these simple fire safety tips can boost survival rates dramatically.
Smoke Alarms Save Lives
Install smoke alarms on every level of your residence. Place them outside bedrooms on the ceiling or high on the wall (4 to 12 inches from ceiling), at the top of open stairways, or at the bottom of enclosed stairs and near (but not in) the kitchen.
Test and clean smoke alarms once a month and replace batteries at least once a year. Replace smoke alarms once every 10 years.
Have a Plan
Develop an escape plan and practice escaping from each room.
Make sure windows are not nailed or painted shut. Make sure security gratings on windows have a fire safety opening feature so they can be easily opened from the inside.
Consider escape ladders if your residence has more than one level, and ensure that burglar bars and other anti-theft mechanisms that block outside window entry are easily opened from the inside.
Teach family members to stay low to the floor (where the air is safer in a fire) when escaping from a fire.
Clean out storage areas. Do not let trash, such as old newspapers and magazines, accumulate.
Be Careful With Flammable Items
Never use gasoline, benzine, naptha, or similar flammable liquids indoors.
Store flammable liquids in approved containers in well-ventilated storage areas.
Never smoke near flammable liquids.
Discard all rags or materials that have been soaked in flammable liquids after you have used them. Safely discard them outdoors in a metal container.
Insulate chimneys and place spark arresters on top. The chimney should be at least three feet higher than the roof. Remove branches hanging above and around the chimney.
Use Caution with Matches and Smoking
Keep matches and lighters up high, away from children, and, if possible, in a locked cabinet.
Never smoke in bed or when drowsy or medicated. Provide smokers with deep, sturdy ashtrays. Douse cigarette and cigar butts with water before disposal.
Other Safety Tips
Sleep with your door closed.
Install A-B-C-type fire extinguishers in your residence and teach family members how to use them.
Consider installing an automatic fire sprinkler system in your residence.
WHAT TO DO DURING A FIRE
If your clothes catch on fire, you should stop, drop, and roll - until the fire is extinguished. Running only makes the fire burn faster.
To escape a fire, you should check closed doors for heat before you open them. If you are escaping through a closed door, use the back of your hand to feel the top of the door, the doorknob, and the crack between the door and door frame before you open it. Never use the palm of your hand or fingers to test for heat - burning those areas could impair your ability to escape a fire (i.e., ladders and crawling).
Open the door slowly and ensure fire and/or smoke is not blocking your escape route. If clear, leave immediately through the door and close it behind you. Be prepared to crawl. Smoke and heat rise. The air is clearer and cooler near the floor.
If your escape route is blocked, shut the door immediately and use an alternate escape route, such as a window. If you cannot escape, hang a white or light-colored sheet outside the window, alerting fire fighters to your presence.
Crawl low under any smoke to your exit - heavy smoke and poisonous gases collect first along the ceiling.
Close doors behind you as you escape to delay the spread of the fire.
WHAT TO DO AFTER A FIRE
The following are guidelines for different circumstances in the period following a fire:
If you are with burn victims, or are a burn victim yourself, call 9-1-1; cool and cover burns to reduce chance of further injury or infection.
If you detect heat or smoke when entering a damaged building, evacuate immediately.
If you are a tenant, contact the landlord.
If you have a safe or strong box, do not try to open it. It can hold intense heat for several hours. If the door is opened before the box has cooled, the contents could burst into flames.
If you must leave your home because a building inspector says the building is unsafe, ask someone you trust to watch the property during your absence.
Stay out once you are safely out. Do not re-enter. Call 9-1-1.