BURRILLLVILLE – When it comes to house and apartment fires it is extremely important to establish two ways out in case of a fire at your residence.
The winter months are very active for home and apartment fires every year. Having two ways out in case of a fire helps everyone within your family to have options available to them when exiting a burning structure safely and going to your meeting place outside. Routinely practicing your fire exit drills can also help reduce the chances of anyone in your family being trapped and severely burned or perish in a building fire.
Another important safety tip is checking door handles if there is a fire in your home or apartment. Quickly checking any door handle to see if it is hot will let you know if there a fire is directly on the other side of the room you happen to be in at that moment. Opening that door will immediately allow flames and smoke to enter the room that you are in. If that door handle is hot, your best option is to exit the burning building through a window in that room and not exit in that intended direction. Exiting through a window puts you safely outside and away from the fire inside. Once you are outside of the burning building you need to run to your safe meeting place with the rest of your family members. Let them know that you are outside and safe. Then, inform first responders and firefighters arriving on the scene that everyone is outside and safe from the fire so firefighters can focus on putting out that fire and not take any unnecessary risks entering a burning building attempting to rescue and remove anyone. If nobody is inside that burning building then they can remain outside and safer themselves.
Practicing exit drills in your home and apartment with your family members is essential to remaining fire safer in your residence all year long, not just during the winter months. Burn prevention and fire safety begins with you and your family.Â
