The following tips will help you protect yourself and your loved ones in the event of a fire.
How to Escape a Fire
If the fire has not spread to your room
- Stay calm and react immediately when there are signs of fire (smelling smoke, seeing flames, hearing the fire alarm)… Cover yourself with a blanket (not too thin or too thick for mobility) and exit the house immediately.
- If your clothes catch fire, find the nearest water source or immediately lie down, cover your face with your hands, and roll back and forth until the flames are extinguished. Do not run as wind can cause the fire to flare up. Avoid jumping into a pool or water container as the water can boil when exposed to fire.
- Shout loudly and call for others to escape. If your phone is still operational, quickly call 114 (fire department) and 115 (emergency services) to let them know your location if you cannot exit. Move to another room or the balcony, waving light-colored clothing to signal for help.
- If the fire has not reached the hallway, find the nearest emergency exit and get outside.
If the fire is spreading to your room
- Close the door to prevent the fire from entering your room. In this case, you should:
- Feel the heat of the door with the back of your hand. This area has more nerve endings, helping you accurately gauge the door’s temperature.
- If the door is not hot, slowly open it and observe the surroundings. Smoke rises, so you should lie low and crawl out. The closer you are to the ground, the easier it is to escape the fire because the smoke above is not only smoke; it is also heated air mixed with toxic gases.
- Try not to inhale smoke. Use a shirt, cloth, blanket, or anything you can dampen and place it over your nose and mouth while crawling through the flames.
- If the door is hot, that means the fire is very close. Do not open the door; look for another escape route such as a window or emergency exit…
If you are trapped
- Try to get to a place where rescue and emergency services can hear or see you.
- Do not open the windows, as oxygen from outside will attract fire from the main door, trapping you in the flames. Use a towel or anything you can find to block the bottom of the main door to prevent smoke from entering the room.
- Only climb out the window and jump down if it is safe or if someone is assisting. If you must jump from a window, look for a ledge to grab onto, walk along the ledge, facing the wall. Always face the wall when climbing out of a high window, as this will help you use your strength to cling to the wall and land safely.
However, ideally, remain still in the room, isolate yourself from the fire with a firmly closed door, block smoke from entering, and use anything you can find to dampen and cover your nose and mouth to filter the air while waiting for rescue.
Note that elevators are not a means of escape. Why?
- In the event of a fire, elevators will automatically return to the ground floor and stop operating, cutting off the power supply, and the ventilation and lighting systems will also stop working.
- The elevator shaft becomes a conduit for smoke and flames, sometimes getting stuck on the way to the ground floor.
- If the elevator has its own power supply, imagine all floors calling for the elevator, but it will not stop on the floor that is on fire, and elevators typically carry a maximum of 10-12 people; will you be one of those 10-12?
Remember the escape strategy: “Stay calm, lie low, crawl, cover your face, and avoid inhaling smoke.” Do not panic; try to remain as calm as possible to minimize casualties for yourself and your family.
How to Escape in Case of a Fire in an Apartment or High-Rise Building?
In the event of a fire in an apartment or high-rise building, quickly head to the nearest safe exit, as these buildings are designed with multiple escape routes.
Absolutely do not use the elevator as it may get stuck due to a power outage.
If escaping through a window or hallway, try to attract attention from rescuers by waving your hands, shouting…
Also, do not jump into a pool or water containers, as they may have been heated to boiling point.
