More than 4,000 Americans die in fires each year and more than 25,000 are injured, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
To help prevent injury and loss of life, it is important to understand how quickly a fire can spread. In just two minutes a fire can become life-threatening. In five minutes a residence can be engulfed in flames. Heat and smoke from fire can be more dangerous than the flames. Inhaling the intensely hot air can sear lungs. Fire produces poisonous gases that can cause disorientation and drowsiness. Instead of being awakened by a fire, it may trigger a deeper sleep. Asphyxiation is the leading cause of fire deaths, exceeding burns by a three-to-one ratio.
Information courtesy of the County of Los Angeles Fire Dept
Make a Plan
Properly working smoke alarms decrease chances of death in a fire by half.
Place the alarms on every level of your residence, outside bedrooms, at the
top of open stairways or at the bottom of enclosed stairs and near but not
in the kitchen. Test and clean smoke alarms once a month and replace batteries
at least once a year. Smoke alarms should be replaced once every 10 years.
During a fire, it is important to know how to get out of the building quickly. Review escape routes with the entire family and practice escaping from each room. Teach family members to stay low to the floor when exiting the house, where the air is safer in a fire.
Make sure windows are not nailed or painted shut and security gratings on windows have fire safety opening features so they can be easily opened from the inside.
Consider escape ladders if a house has more than one floor. Ensure that burglar bars and other antitheft mechanisms that block outside window entries are easily opened from the inside.
In the Event of a Fire
Have a fire extinguisher for small fires.
If your house or building does catch fire, get out as fast as possible. Always check closed doors for heat before opening them. If escaping through a closed door, use the back of your hand to feel the top of the door, the doorknob and the crack between the door and door frame before you open it. Never use your palm or fingers to test for heat because burning those areas could cause severe injury, impairing your ability to escape the fire.
If the door is cool, proceed slowly to make sure fire and/or smoke is not blocking the escape route.
If the door is hot, do not open it. Get out through a window. If you cannot get out, hang a white or light-colored sheet outside the window to alert fire fighters that you are inside.
When getting out of the building, crawl low to try to avoid smoke and heated gases. Close doors behind you to delay the spread of the fire. Once you are safely out, do not go back inside. From a safe location, call 9-1-1.
Wildfires
In many areas of the country, including Southern California, wildfires present a
considerable risk. The threat of wildfires for people living near wooded areas is
particularly significant.
One way to decrease the threat of wildfire destruction and personal injury is to create safety zones around your home. In the first zone keep the volume of vegetation to a minimum. In the second zone reduce or replace as much of the most flammable vegetation as possible. If on a hill, extend the zone on the downhill side. Fire spreads rapidly uphill. The steeper the slope, the more open space you will need to protect your home. Swimming pools and patios can be a safety zone and stone walls can act as heat shields and deflect flames.
Evacuation may be the only protection in a wildfire. Make a plan in advance of where to go and what to bring with you. Plan several escape routes in case roads are blocked by the wildfire.
Altadena Foothills Fire Safe Council
Your local Altadena Foothills Fire Safe Council will be hosting evacuation
drills and will work with the community to advise on defensible space for
your home, fire wise plants and plants that can help prevent erosion and
fuel reduction around and near your home.
Please see the Firesafe Council page for additional information