Whether you’re just moving into your next home or building an entirely new abode, a fire can be the final nail in the coffin. Fortunately, with a few easy precautions, you can keep your home and everything in it safe from harm. But what if you’re not ready for that first matchstick of kindling?
What if you don’t know how to protect yourself and your family while they’re still a few floors up? Fortunately, there are some fire evacuation plans you can make to help keep everyone safe from the flames. If you’re ready to learn everything there is to know about preparing for a fire, and what to do if it happens, keep reading.
How to Make an Emergency Fire Escape
You can use that space as an emergency fire escape if you’re like most people and have a spare room or two in your house. These are great because they don’t take up too much space and they can be concealed within a few walls.
If you’re really in a bind and don’t know where to go, you can always call a professional fire escape hoist and climber to help you out. But for the most basic of plans, you can use a fire escape as a step-down ladder. This means you can use it to get to the ground floor of your house if you have a few flights of stairs left.
What to Do If You’re on Fire
If you’re on a house’s second or third floor and you see a fire, you should get out here. Whether you’re in a house, an apartment, a hotel room, or a car, getting out of the building as quickly as possible keeps the fire from spreading and you from getting hurt or killed.
Once you’ve gotten outside, put out the fire as quickly as possible with water from a bucket, a hose, or a sprayer. If you’re in a house, try putting out the fire before entering. If you’re in a car, don’t sit in the driver’s seat; just put the fire out from the front or side window and get out of there as quickly as possible.
Take Cover: The best place to be during a fire
During a fire, the best place to be is under a blanket or a heavy quilt. If you’re cold or not in a particularly cozy position, you can try to cover yourself with a blanket or jacket, but for the most basic level, the most protectable place you can get is under a blanket or a quilt.
Get Outta There: A few other ways to prepare for a fire
If you’re not under a blanket or a quilt, but still worried about a fire, the next thing you should do is get out of your house. Leave a wall-mounted smoke detector under your bed or in a closet, and place a fire blanket or two around your bed. If you have a fireplace, place the embers in a box or bucket and put it outside on the patio or deck.
If you have a wood-burning stove, create a fire-safe distance from it by putting the flames out with a fire extinguisher or by building a fire-proof wall around the base. If you don’t have a wall or fire-proof boundaries around your house, it’s best to avoid them.
The only way to protect yourself and your family from a fire is to know how to prepare for one. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to help protect yourself and your home from the flames.