House fires take the lives of more than 4,000 people across the United States every year and leave upward of 20,000 more with serious injuries. A few good habits and a quick look around your home can make a real difference.
Tips for Surviving a Fire
- Plan an escape route as a family and practice it. The Fire Prevention office can help you put a plan together.
- Keep bedroom doors shut while you sleep; a closed door slows the spread of heat and smoke.
- Make sure everyone at home knows what your smoke alarm sounds like.
- Feel a door before you open it. If fire has reached the other side, the heat, smoke or flames can overwhelm you the moment it swings open.
- Think of windows as a second way out.
- Stay low and crawl when there is smoke. Superheated air and poisonous gases gather near the ceiling first and work their way down, which leaves cleaner air roughly one to two feet above the floor.
- If your clothing catches fire, stop where you are, drop to the ground and roll.
Home Self-Inspection Checklist
Set aside a few minutes to work through the home fire safety self-inspection checklist, which is available from the Fire Prevention office. Not every question will fit your household, but each "no" answer points to a possible hazard worth fixing. If every answer is "yes," congratulations on keeping your home safe.
Find more safety topics on the fire public education page.
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