If not, run for safety and call for help. To make your way through a fire, crawl beneath the smoke and be sure to avoid Official link going through doors that are hot. According to the National Fire Protection Association, house fires are responsible for more than 2,600 fatalities per year.1 But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are fire protection steps you can take to keep your family safe in the event of a home fire.
Of course, prevention is the best step toward fire safety, but in case of a fire in your home, you’ll need to know exactly what to do. Let’s go through the steps.
Extinguish the fire if possible
If the fire has just sparked—for example, a pan catches fire on the stove—you may be able to contain it.
Grab your fire extinguisher and remember to PASS: pull the pin, aim at the base of the flames, squeeze the extinguisher handle, and sweep from side to side until the fire is extinguished. Make sure that the fire is completely out and not still smoldering.
Crawl beneath the flames to escape
Fire produces smoke and poisonous gases that can cause lightheadedness or loss of consciousness if inhaled—both of which can cause issues if you’re trying to get out of a burning building. To escape a fire and its fumes, crawl to the closest exit, remembering that it may be a window. Staying low to the ground will help protect you from inhaling smoke and toxic gases.
Check doors and doorknobs for heat
If you must go through a door to get to an exit, check if the door is hot. If the door (or doorknob) is warm to the touch, there could be fire raging on the other side, so do not go through it. If you open a door and see fire or smoke, shut the door and go to a second exit.
Run to safety
Once you make your way outside, run away from the fire to safety. Part of the house or apartment, like the roof or siding, may catch fire and fall around the perimeter of the building, so run across the street or down the block to safety.
Call for help
Once you have made it away from the fire, call 911. If you don’t have a cellphone, go to a neighbor’s house and ask to borrow a phone. Tell the operator that there’s been a fire at your address, and then keep the line open to see if they need any other information.
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