Here's What You Should Not Do In The Event of A House Fire

If you’re stuck inside a house that’s caught on fire, opening doors to escape can be tempting. However, this is not the best thing to do, especially if you do it recklessly. Don’t open doors that have smoke rising from the gaps underneath or above. The smoke indicates that there is fire on the other side, and opening the door means exposing yourself to it.

If the door doesn’t have smoke coming out of it, don’t open it immediately. Carefully touch the door or the doorknob with the back of your hand and check if it is hot. If it is, do not open it. Doors that are cool to the touch must be opened with precaution. Lastly, if you open a room and see fire coming into it, close the door immediately and stay as far away from it as possible.

This may sound silly, but jumping out of a window during a house fire is not a good idea. You can suffer serious injuries by doing so. If the fire is dangerously growing, it is better to lock yourself in a safe room until the fire brigade arrives. Assess the situation before doing something as drastic as flinging yourself out of a window. However, if this is your last hope, try to at least soften the blow and throw a mattress on the ground for landing. You can also tie up bed sheets or blankets to create a rope with which you can maneuver down the house.

Remember that there will be people who will come looking for you to help get you out, so avoid hiding inside the closet or under the bed. Not only will it make you difficult to find, but it can also limit your movements. Try to stay as visible as possible. The quicker rescuers find you, the sooner you all will get out. No matter how scary it may be, do not hide from a house fire; stay calm and keep yourself safe until someone arrives.

If your clothes catch fire, you must immediately stop what you’re doing, drop to the ground, and roll until the fire is put out. Cover your face with your hands to protect delicate parts like your eyes. While the stop, drop, and roll method can’t guarantee that no burns will happen to you, it can at least prevent you from getting major injuries. Do not attempt to run, too. Running may increase the airflow in clothes and cause them to burn faster, increasing the risk of your body getting burned.

Never, under any circumstance, go back inside a burning house or any burning structure to save anyone or anything. Going back may mean putting yourself at risk. The moment you get out of the house, stay as far away as possible from it. Do a headcount and see if you are complete. If anybody is missing, inform the firefighters when they arrive and let them save the trapped people inside. You may direct them where to go to make things easier. Once you’re out, you can check if anyone was injured. Call your local emergency hotline to get help as soon as possible.

Go to Yoorekka to get more tips to keep your home safe.

Keep these safety precautions in mind and increase your chances of surviving in a house fire. Stay safe!