Fire

As reported by the National Fire Protection Association, a fire department in the United States responds to a fire somewhere every 24 seconds. The best thing that you can do to avoid a house fire is take the proper preventative measures. Taking the time to make sure there aren’t any fire hazards around your home will greatly reduce the chances of a house fire. If you do find yourself in the middle of a house fire, it’s essential that you act fast. 

1.) Get a fire extinguisher.

If your alarm sounds, do not wait to see if there’s actually a fire or not. Fire spreads very quickly, so it’s important that you act fast. If you have a fire extinguisher nearby, you should grab it and put out the source of the fire. 

2.) Raise an alarm. 

You shouldn’t rely on your fire alarm to warn everyone of the fire. If there are other people in the house, you need to yell that there’s a fire and everyone needs to get out. 

3.) Get out of the house.

Your main objective should be to get you and everyone you live with out of the house. You should not stop to get any valuables. It’s important to remember that no material items are worth risking the lives of you and your loved ones. 

4.) Call 911.

Once you’re safely outside the house, you should call 911 immediately. Tell them how many people live in your house, how many are accounted for, if you have any pets in the house, and where you saw the fire in your house. It is important to remember that once you are out of the house, you should not re-enter the house under any circumstances. If you believe that someone else is still in the house, notify the fire department so that they can get them out. 

5.) Meet at specified meeting point.

If you have a pre-determined meeting point, you should make sure to get there as soon as possible. That way you will be able to account if everyone has made it out of the house or not. Meetings points usually are a neighbor’s house, sign, phone pole, tree etc. 

Sources:
National Fire Protection Association
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