A fire breaking out in your house sounds like the worst-case scenario (and so it is!), but this doesn’t mean that it can’t or won’t happen, at a certain time. Therefore, you must be prepared for any possibility, no matter how small the probability is, and act accordingly, unemotionally, when it happens. By reading this article further, you’ll find out what are the steps that you should follow, in such an eventuality, but first, we mention that you shouldn’t panic under any circumstances. By doing this, all that happens is that your mind will no longer function at optimal parameters. Without further ado, here’s the list of actions you must take:
1. Extinguish the fire, if possible. First of all, if you notice the fire from the beginning, it might still be safe to try to extinguish it. If you own a fire extinguisher, remember the PASS method: pull the pin, aim at the base of the flames, squeeze the handle, and sweep from side to side;
2. Inform everyone else in the house. Don’t rely on smoke detectors & alarms to inform others, but scream from the top of your lungs so that everyone leaves the house as quickly as possible (of course, small children & pets will be helped);
3. Cover your nose & crawl beneath the smoke. If you have the chance, cover your nostrils with a damp tissue, so that you prevent smoke from entering your lungs. Also, crawl beneath the smoke, as it not only produces reduced visibility, but it can also cause lightheadedness or loss of consciousness;
4. Leave all the valuables behind. In the eventuality of a fire, never waste precious time taking your belongings (anything non-human or animal) with you! Instead, notify the fire safety officers, after their arrival, about the last known location of such valuables;
5. Check doors & doorknobs for heat. If you put your hands on a doorknob and it’s hot, it almost definitely means that there’s a fire raging on the other side. Therefore, search for an alternative escape route;
6. Close the doors that are still open. On the other hand, if you notice any open doors, close them! Research proves that closing the door prevents fire from spreading, which means it will be confined to a limited space, for a while;
7. Run to safety & stay out. Once you make your way out, don’t look back, literally & figuratively! Instead, run across the street or on a nearby field, because the roof or the building altogether might collapse. Also, once you’re out, don’t think about going back in the house & retrieving something from point 4!
8. Call 911 from a safe spot. Last but not least, once you’re in a safe spot, call 911 & wait for them there. Also, when the helpers arrive, don’t offer to re-enter the house with them, because you’re unequipped & in a precarious emotional state. Instead, drink water, calm down, and be grateful for the fact that you escaped unscathed, together with the whole family, from a really complicated situation.
P.S. Of course, we hope that everything remains only at a hypothetical level & that you’ll never need to follow the steps described above. Good luck!