Alarms, properly placed
Fatal house fires mostly happen at night, and smoke puts people into a deeper sleep rather than waking them. You need an alarm inside every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level including the basement. The whole unit expires ten years after the manufacture date printed on its back, whatever the battery is doing, and newer models with sealed ten-year batteries remove the annual chore. Renters should report a missing or dead alarm to the landlord in writing, since most states make the landlord responsible for providing them.
Where fires actually start
Cooking causes more home fires than anything else, and the usual story is a pan left alone. Stay in the kitchen while anything is frying or broiling. If a pan of grease ignites, slide a lid or a baking sheet over it, turn off the burner, and leave it covered until it is cool. Never throw water on burning grease and never carry the pan. For an oven fire, keep the door shut and turn the oven off. The other regular culprits are these.
- Space heaters need three feet of clearance on every side and a wall outlet of their own, never a power strip.
- Dryer lint should be cleared from the screen before every load, and from the vent duct about once a year.
- Large lithium batteries, such as those in electric bikes and scooters, should not be charged overnight or beside your only exit.
Getting out
Walk both routes out of every bedroom, and agree on a meeting spot outside. When the alarm sounds, stay low under the smoke and touch closed doors with the back of your hand before opening them. A hot door stays shut, and you use the other route. Close doors behind you, because a closed door holds back heat and smoke for crucial minutes. In an apartment building, take the stairs and never the elevator. Call 911 from outside and do not go back in for anything, including pets.
If you use an extinguisher
Use one only when the fire is small and contained, everyone else is leaving, and your back is to a clear exit. Pull the pin, aim at the base of the flames, squeeze, and sweep from side to side. If the fire is not out in a few seconds, leave.
Tip If your clothes catch fire, stop, drop to the ground, cover your face with your hands, and roll until the flames are out. Running feeds them.
