Fire
Before a Fire
- Install smoke alarms on every level of your residence.
- Place smoke alarms 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.
- Review escape routes with your family and where to meet outside of the house. Practice escaping from each room in the house.
- Consider escape ladders if your residence has more than one level.
- Teach family members to stay low on the floor (where the air is safer in a fire) when escaping from a fire.
- Store flammable liquids in approved containers in well-ventilated storage areas. Do not smoke near flammable liquids.
- Sleep with your door closed.
- Install fire A-B-C type fire extinguishers in your residence and teach family members how to use them.
During a Fire
- If escaping from a fire, check closed doors for heat before you open them with the back of your hand. Do not open a hot door; escape through a window. If you cannot escape, hang a white or light-colored sheet outside the window to alert emergency responders to your presence.
- If your clothes catch on fire, you should stop, drop, and roll until the fire is extinguished. Running will only make the fire burn faster.
- Close doors behind you as you escape to delay the spread of the fire.
After a Fire
- If you are with burn victims or are a burn victim yourself, call 911; cool and cover burns to reduce the 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 strongbox, 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.