Tips For Tackling Fire Smartly

Owing to its destructive power man has forever been as enchanted by fire as his is terrified, and rightly so. Waking up in the middle of the night to the sounds of the fire alarm with your room filling with smoke is everyone's nightmare, but the reality is far more terrifying. While it's natural to panic, it's highly important that you keep a rational mind and behave in a sensible manner. The house and contents should hopefully be covered by your contents and home insurance, so the only priority now is to get yourself out safely and quickly.

One mistake that people often make is to try and fight the fire themselves. Even if the fire is only small however this is a bad idea as it's not just the flames themselves that pose the danger. Should the fire spread it's possible it could cause an explosion, or cause the ceiling to collapse either of which could injure you on its own. At the same time inhaling the fumes can be lethal, even if you don't notice their effects right away. That said however, the flames themselves are dangerous too and can spread suddenly and unpredictably making fire-fighting the sole remit of trained experts. Even if the fire is only small you should make sure to completely evacuate the building and then call the emergency services for assistance. Apart from anything else you may well end up exacerbating matters and making the fire worse.

Another common mistake is to try and save your possessions. This too is a serious mistake as no single item is worth your life (even the sentimental ones). All your items will be covered by your contents and home insurance too so the priority here is definitely to get yourself out and then hope that sentimental items get recovered. Certainly don't pick anything up that might slow you down and definitely don't try to run back in for things you've left. Again this is the case even where the fire seems small and controllable.

While it may sound cold hearted you also shouldn't waste time looking for loved ones inside the building. The reason for this is simple - as if they're looking for you at the same time you might all end up running around the house when you could be outside. So long as everyone knows the drill they should all know to meet you outside. Of course mitigating circumstance exist where you live with a young child or disabled relatives but even then it is a job better left to trained professionals as otherwise you could end up getting killed yourself. Sadly pets are also going to have to get outside themselves, but once they smell smoke and see the fire they should manage it even quicker than you.

While exiting the premises make sure to stay low as smoke will rise and try to use a cloth or item of clothing to create a filter. Make sure you take the quickest possible route outside then meet your loved ones at a safe distance from outside. While it's terribly upsetting once you are all together there is nothing more you can do other than to phone the emergency services and whoever provides your home insurance.