Below are some skills you can do to help yourself and your loved ones escape from a fire.
1. Stay calm and act immediately
When a fire occurs, stay calm and act immediately. Panic will make you unsure of what to do and how to make decisions in this “boiling water” moment.
Always remember to keep your body from inhaling too much smoke. Additionally, you should train yourself on how to use a fire extinguisher as it will be very helpful.
If there is someone inside the house with you, shout loudly to alert them or wake them up if they are sleeping or in another room.
2. Cover your nose and mouth
Smoke will start to spread and fill the entire house much faster than you think. Cover your nose and mouth because you may faint from inhaling too much smoke.
You can wet a cloth or a towel and cover your nose and mouth. If you are on an upper floor and the fire outside is large, you can place wet cloths at the bottom of the closed door to prevent smoke from spreading.
Then, look for other exits, such as windows, to escape from the room.
In case there are no adjacent roofs or emergency exits, climb out using your hands and drop yourself to the ground to reduce the falling height.
If you need to break a window, use a chair or a drawer. You can also use a blanket to protect yourself from broken glass.
3. Stay close to the ground
If there are no other exits and the situation requires you to leave the room, it is best to crouch down when moving. According to KidsHealth, in this situation, every second counts and you will inhale less smoke by crouching down to the ground.
Smoke has the characteristic of rising. You will have more time by keeping yourself close to the ground when finding an escape route. Crawl using your hands and knees to move faster!
A fire is when you need to make quick and accurate decisions.
4. Check and close all doors
When you leave the room, pay attention to each door you pass through. Close all doors behind you to prevent the fire from spreading quickly.
Fire needs oxygen to survive, so when you close the door, you are cutting off the free flow of oxygen between rooms.
Similarly, be cautious before opening a door. Don’t open the door when the fire is burning inside. To determine if it is burning inside, you should touch the door before opening it. Feel the handle or observe the smoke passing through the cracks.
If the adjacent room is safe, go inside, close the door, and stay vigilant.
5. Lie down and roll
In the event that your clothes catch fire, don’t panic. Stop what you’re doing, lie down on the ground, and roll back and forth to extinguish the fire. You should cover your mouth and face while doing this. Additionally, make sure your head and hair are not on fire. Then, continue to find a way to escape.
Remember the above in case of a fire to increase your chances of survival.
Source: Vietnamnet
