Fire drills are a big part of being safe in school: They prepare
you for what you need to do in case of a fire. But what if there
was a fire where you live?
Would you know what to do?
Talking about fires can be scary because no one likes to think
about people getting hurt or their things getting burned. But you
can feel less worried if you are prepared.
It's a good ideas for families to talk about what they would
do to escape a fire. Different families will have different
strategies. Some kids live in one-story houses and other kids live
in tall buildings. You'll want to talk about escape plans and
escape routes, so let's start there.
Know Your Way Out
An escape plan can help every member of a family get out of a
burning house. The idea is to get outside
quickly and safely
. Smoke from a fire can make it hard to see where things are, so
it's important to learn and remember the different ways out of
your home. How many exits are there? How do you get to them from
your room? It's a good idea to have your family draw a map of
the escape plan.
It's possible one way out could be blocked by fire or smoke,
so you'll want to know where other ones are. And if you live in
an apartment building, you'll want to know the best way to the
stairwell or other emergency exits.
If you're in a room with the door closed when the fire
breaks out, you need to take a few extra steps:
- Check to see if there's heat or smoke coming in the
cracks around the door. (You're checking to see if
there's fire on the other side.)
- If you see smoke coming under the door -
don't open the door!
- If you don't see smoke - touch the door. If the door is
hot or very warm -
don't open the door!
- If you don't see smoke - and the door is not hot - then
use your fingers to lightly touch the doorknob.
If the doorknob is hot or very warm - don't open the
door!
If the doorknob feels cool, and you can't see any smoke
around the door, you can open the door very carefully and slowly.
When you open the door, if you feel a burst of heat, or smoke pours
into the room, quickly shut the door and make sure it is really
closed. If there's no smoke or heat when you open the door,
go toward your escape route exit
.
Stay Low
If you can see smoke in the house, stay low to the ground as you
make your way to the exit. In a fire, smoke and poisonous air hurt
more people than the actual flames do. You'll breathe less
smoke if you stay close to the ground. Smoke naturally rises, so if
there is smoke while you're using your escape route, staying
low means you can crawl under most of it. You can drop to the floor
and
crawl on your hands and knees
below the smoke.
Exiting through a door that leads outside should be your first
choice as an escape route, but also ask your parents about windows
and if they would be possible escape routes. Even windows on a
higher floor could be safe escape routes if you had help, like from
a firefighter or another adult.
Ask your parents to teach you how to unlock the windows, open
them, and remove the screen, if needed. Make sure you only do this
in an emergency! Lots of kids are injured because they fall out of
windows.
Sometimes, families even have collapsible rescue ladders that
can be used to escape from upper floors of a house. If you have
one, ask your mom or dad to show you how it works.
In addition to planning your escape routes, you'll also want
to know where family members will meet outside. This is helpful
because then everyone shows up in one place and you'll know
that everyone is safe. You might choose the front porch of a
neighbor's house or some other nearby spot.
It's normal to worry about your pets or a favorite toy, but
if there is a fire, you have to leave them behind. The most
important thing is that you get out safely. It's also important
to know that you shouldn't stay in the house any longer than
you must - not even to call
911
. Someone else can make that call from outside. Once you're
out,
do not
go back in for anything - even pets. You can tell the fire rescue
people about any pets that were left behind and they may be able to
help.
What if You Can't Get Out Right Away?
If you can't get out fast, because fire or smoke is blocking
an escape route, you'll want to yell for help. You can do this
from an open window or call 911 if you have a phone with you.
Even if you're scared,
never
hide under the bed or in a closet. Then, firefighters will have a
hard time finding you. Know that firefighters or other adults will
be looking for you to help you out safely. The sooner they find
you, the sooner you both can get out.
In the meanwhile, keep heat and smoke from getting through the
door by blocking the cracks around the door with sheets, blankets,
and/or clothing. If there is a window in the room that is not
possible to escape from, open it wide and stand in front of it. If
you can grab a piece of clothing or a towel, place it over your
mouth to keep from breathing in the smoke. This works even better
if you wet the cloth first.
Home Drills
It's great to talk about emergency plans, but it's even
better if you practice them, like the fire drills you have at
school. Having a fire drill at home gives everyone a chance to see
how they would react in a real
emergency
. You can see how quickly and safely everyone can get out of the
house. Your family should practice this drill twice a year, every
year. It's also a good time to remind your parents to change
the batteries in the smoke alarms.
A good rule of thumb during a home fire drill is to see if your
family can safely get out the house using the escape routes and
meet outside at the same place within
3 minutes
. For an extra challenge, you might try variations, like pretending
that the front door was blocked and you couldn't get out that
way.
If Your Clothes Catch Fire
A person's clothes could catch fire during a fire or by
accident, like if you step too close to a candle. If this happens,
don't run! Instead, stop, drop to the ground, cover your face
with your hands, and roll. This will cut off the air and put out
the flames. An easy way to remember this is:
Stop, Drop, and Roll!
Preventing Fires
Every year, kids of all ages start over 35,000 fires that hurt
people and damage property. You can do your part to prevent fires
by
never
playing with matches, lighters, and other fire sources. Also stay
away from fireplaces, candles, and stoves. By following this
advice, you'll be doing important work - preventing fires in
the first place!
Reviewed by:
Kate M. Cronan, MD
Date reviewed: May 2008
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice,
diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
© 1995-2009 The Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth. All rights reserved.