SPOKANE, Wash. – You never want it to happen, but if it does, having a plan could save your life.
Imagine being in your house when you realize it is on fire. NonStop Local spoke with the Spokane Fire Department for advice on what you should do in such a terrible situation.
One of the first things that public information officer with SFD Justin de Ruyter said is that fires can change in an instant and they are very dangerous. It does not take long for them to get big. If it has spread from wherever it started, don’t try to fight it; just get out of the house as quickly as possible while notifying everyone else to do the same.
If it’s safe, close the door of the room that is on fire, because it could buy you the time you need to leave.
Here are photos that show the difference between rooms with open and closed doors during a fire. Remember, fires need air to breathe, so if you block their path it could make a huge difference in how far and fast it will spread before first responders knock it down.
De Ruyter says don’t go out of your way to close every door in the house, but it’s a good idea to close the ones behind you as you leave.
You will also likely find yourself crawling at some point. Heat rises, and so do the toxic fumes that come with it.
“You’ll want to get down,” said de Ruyter. “Even just that smoke, you don’t want to be breathing [it in]. It’ll incapacitate you before you know it.”
And remember, if you do have to go through a door on your way out, make sure to feel the back of it for warmth before opening it, just in case there is fire on the other side.
Even if you haven’t had a fire, de Ruyter recommends making sure that you have smoke alarms inside and outside of each bedroom in your home, and at least one on every level. Drill your kids once a month on different fire exits to make sure they know the plan in case of emergency.
