Table of Contents
What to do if a fire is near your house?
If you’re trapped in your home:
- Stay calm, keep your family together.
- Call 911 and inform authorities of your location.
- Fill sinks and tubs with cold water.
- Keep doors and windows closed, but unlocked.
- Stay inside your house.
- Stay away from outside walls and windows.
What should you not do in a fire?
10 things not to do in a fire
- Don’t install smoke alarm detectors.
- Pop upstairs to retrieve heirlooms, passports and pets.
- Open doors that have smoke billowing from the joints.
- Throw water on a chip pan fire.
- Try and escape using a Lift.
- Jump from an upstairs window.
- Hide in a cupboard or under the bed.
- Smoke cigarettes in bed.
Is it safe to run through fire?
If possible, don’t run or walk through a burning room Fire is certainly dangerous, but so is the heat and smoke it generates. As if that weren’t bad enough, smoke inhalation during a fire can cause you to experience carbon-monoxide poisoning, which may cause confusion or loss of consciousness.
Should you stay close to the floor in a fire?
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.
What to do if a fire is approaching?
What to Do When a Wildfire Approaches
- Listen to emergency officials. If they say evacuate, leave your home immediately.
- If you see a fire, report it.
- Shut off the gas.
- Check your vents.
- Make your home easier to spot.
- Take the “kindling” away.
- Make it easy for firefighters.
- Wet down your space.
How fast can a house burn down?
Every fire is different; the rate at which a fire spreads and the severity will vary. But generally, a house can become fully engulfed in flames in as few as five minutes but will usually take at least an hour or more to burn down completely.
How do you stay safe in a wildfire?
- Keep smoke outside.
- Reduce your smoke exposure by wearing a respirator [PDF – 329 KB] .
- Pets and other animals can be affected by wildfire smoke too.
- Keep track of fires near you so you can be ready.
- Pay attention to any health symptoms if you have asthma, COPD, heart disease, or are pregnant.