In the event of a fire, how can you escape? Many people panic and lack the skills needed to escape effectively, leading to confusion or serious mistakes during an evacuation.
Here are the 7 most common mistakes to avoid when a fire occurs that you must be aware of.
1. Yelling
When a fire breaks out, yelling not only wastes energy and time but can also cause panic and chaos, endangering those around you. Moreover, inhaling toxic smoke can lead to respiratory burns and even death on the spot.
Correct Approach: Cover your mouth and nose with a wet cloth or wet clothing. If you need to alert others, use a whistle or create loud noises with nearby objects rather than shouting to attract attention.
Yelling wastes energy and can cause panic. (Illustrative image)
2. Standing Upright
When a fire occurs, toxic gases spread rapidly. If you stand upright, you may inhale more harmful gases. Therefore, maintain a lower posture, bend down, and crawl forward. You need to quickly escape through the emergency exit or stairwell.
3. Kicking the Door Open
After a fire breaks out, the temperature inside the room rises sharply, and air pressure increases significantly. If you suddenly open the outside door, thermal convection will drastically increase, and ventilation will cause all combustible materials to ignite intensely.
Correct Approach: Fire conditions can vary greatly. If you wish to leave a burning room, feel the door’s temperature with your hand to gauge how far the fire is from the door. If the door isn’t hot, you can escape outside. Generally, for safety reasons, gently push the door open to allow air to flow in gradually.
4. Using Your Hands to Extinguish Flames
Attempting to extinguish flames with your hands in an emergency not only fails to put out the fire on your body but can also result in severe burns.
Correct Approach: You should lie down on the ground, roll back and forth to extinguish the flames. Then, immediately pour water over your body to alleviate the burning sensation.
5. Missing the Best Opportunity to Escape
In the event of a fire, if the bathroom lacks windows, it’s very easy to lose consciousness or die from lack of oxygen. Even if the bathroom has a small window, if the fire lasts for a long time, rescuers may have difficulty finding and saving you. Therefore, you should avoid entering the bathroom to prevent danger.
Correct Approach: When a fire breaks out, immediately escape through the emergency exit or stairwell.
6. Jumping from the Building
Never jump from a building if you are on a high floor. Jumping should only be considered as a last resort and only from lower floors.
Correct Approach: You can use emergency stairs, balconies, drain pipes, or a rope ladder. Alternatively, tear bed sheets or quilt covers into strips, tie them securely to fixed objects like window frames or railings, and slide down.
Never jump from a building if you are on a high floor. (Illustrative image).
7. Using Standard Elevators for Escape
During a fire in a high-rise building, using elevators to escape is strictly prohibited. Fires can damage the electrical system, causing the elevator to malfunction. Many elevators may malfunction and fall, posing a severe risk to life.
Correct Handling: In the case of a fire in a high-rise building, you should opt for the emergency exit or hallway to escape. Use a wet cloth to cover your mouth and nose, and keep a low profile while moving.
