Fires are dangerous to humans and animals regardless of the type, size, or location. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves on best fire safety practices and procedures, and to cooperate with others involved in the event. In this article, we will discuss options for preparation and action when encountering an unwanted fire whether it is at home, business, or vehicle. In the event of a fire within a structure such as your house, business, school, store, or corporate office it is best to have a solid evacuation plan in place, as well as proper alarms and fire exits.

If you notice a fire or smell heavy smoke in an office building or public place and there is no alarm currently sounding and flashing, find an alarm and pull the lever to set off the alarm. These call-points are typically located close to major exits. Whether located in an office building or home, call 911 and report the fire. If there is a small fire and it is feasible to suppress it with a nearby fire extinguisher, do so making sure to keep your exit clear and in sight, then leave the building as soon as possible, unless policies in place specify otherwise. Ultimately, it is best to avoid the fire and get out. Make sure to also contact the Fire Safety Manager and inform them of the location of the fire.

A.     Fire Precautions

Areas are separated into departments within office buildings. Designated fire managers ensure that proper precautions are in place and active within their area of control. The fire department will ensure that adequate fire precautions and fire-suppression and prevention equipment are in place throughout areas under its control. Some other responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Overall fire risk assessment of the workplace environment

• Ensuring that all fire detection and alert systems are in place and operational

• Ensuring that everyone within each department is educated on what to do in case of fire

• Ensure that emergency exits remain clear and passable

B.      Risk Assessment

With any fire, there remains a risk of being trapped or injured, especially if you have to evacuate quickly. The purpose of a risk assessment is to identify potential fire hazards, as well as identify areas where certain people may have a difficult time evacuating safely.

Fire Managers or Wardens should create a Fire Safety Checklist to assess areas that are under their supervision, which they can obtain from the Department Safety Officer. The D.S.O. assessments include any activities that involve flammable, pyrophoric, or explosive materials, heat sources, voltages or any other process that could interfere with smoke or heat sensors and should include direct reference to these experiments or projects along with control measures to reduce or eliminate those risks.

All staff and visitors are required to ensure the following:

• Proper usage and storage of combustible materials

• Gangways, stairways and corridors are clear of obstructions and passable at all times

• There is no smoking taking place within the building other than in designated areas

C.      Maintenance and Refurbishment

The Faculties Manager must authorize all maintenance and equipment that require sources of heat or combustible materials. Any materials utilized in the department when performing the work must be properly stored away from heat sources and must not obstruct exits.

D.     Emergency Fire Plan

Each department within a company is to have an emergency fire plan, which commonly includes staff action and cooperation, evacuation procedures, and the location of assembly points. Post this plan in highly visible areas where staff can easily become familiar with it. Higher risk areas require plans that are more detailed.

E.      Training and Instruction

All staff and visitors are to remain aware of the risks of fire associated with their particular job role, particularly those that involve hot process or highly flammable substances. It is mandatory that all staff is educated on these risks and procedures during induction.

Other education involves warning others of a fire, operating the fire warning systems, location of escape routes, leading visitors and members of the public out of the building, know the assembly points, contact fire the fire service, location of and use of fire safety equipment, and how to contact the fire brigade. All staff should continue to be trained periodically and tested regularly.

F.       Maintenance and Testing of Fire Safety Equipment

A competent system engineer should maintain fire-fighting equipment, safety equipment, detection and warning systems, emergency lighting, and escape routes on a regular basis.

G.     Escape from Your Home or Business

Like with any disaster, preparedness and prevention are key. If a situation arises where you find yourself needing to escape a fire that occurs inside a building or house, make sure you have an escape plan and route, and that everybody involved knows it.

Home Fires

A fire can occur in your home in various situations. Although many home fires occur when the house is unoccupied, one of the most common occurrences is waking up in the night smelling smoke.

Wake Up and Rooms Are Filled With Smoke

If you live with others and have not heard them shouting up to this point, begin shouting to alert and locate others. Look around if you have visibility. If you see flames, crawl away from them towards the door. If the flames are blocking your door, make your way to the window. If you cannot see, feel your way and be sure to listen for fire as you progress to the door. If your door is closed, feel the doorknob and door itself to check for heat.

Decide if there is a potential of the fire being directly behind the door. Opening a door with fire behind it can cause a variety of consequences including a flashover. The oxygen from the next room rushes in and the fire comes with it towards you. So be sure that there is no sign of heat or fire behind the door. When you open the door, open it slowly so that you do not introduce oxygen into the room you are in, too fast. This can aid in preventing a flashover.

Promptly crawl into the next room while observing and avoiding heat, flames, and smoke. If you do not see or hear, anyone and you live with others, progress to the nearest way out and then to your pre-planned meeting point, while continuing to shout for them. If you have, a cell phone or other accesses to contact fire authorities, do so as quickly as possible. It is best to not attempt to save others if it puts your life at risk while trying to escape.

Stove or Oven fires

Do not investigate or attempt at fighting the fire unless of course, the fire is just your food burning on the stove. Typically, you can suppress stove and oven with the proper extinguisher.

H.     What to Do If Your Escape Route Is Blocked

The following are some examples of what to do in care your escape route is blocked:

Windows

If your doors are blocked and your only option is to climb out the window, crawl on the floor to the window, reach up staying as low as possible, and unlock then open the window slowly. Like with opening doors, introducing oxygen into a burning structure too quickly can result in flashover. Push the screen out and carefully crawl out.

Windows with Burglar Bars

Burglar bars although useful for burglary attempts, are terrible when it comes to escaping your home in the event of a fire. There have been multiple deaths related to trapped victims by burglar bars. If you do have bars on your windows, make sure they have keys and they are not just welded on and keep the key close.

I.        What to Do If You Live In a Multistory Home or High-Rise Flat

In a multistory home or high-rise flat fire, there is a high potentially of fire being outside your door, which leaves the window as the only option of escape. If you wake up in your multi story home or flat and you smell smoke, follow the same procedures as described above for safely assessing where the fire is and safely making it to the door. As discussed earlier in this article, feel the door for heat or flame and decide if it is safe to open the door. Make sure to open the door slowly.

If the door is blocked, quickly stuff cloth under the door to minimize smoke and immediately crawl to the window. Once at the window, carefully reach up and unlock, then open the window slowly. If you cannot open the window, break it by any means necessary; make sure to break the jagged edges. Then grab a cushion, mattress, or a blanket and drape it over the broken glass. If you have children and you have no choice other than the window, lower them carefully from the lowest point possible by tying them to a twisted sheet or piece of cloth. This is where ingenuity becomes very important. It is best that you do not attempt to carry anyone while attempting to escape. Once you and your child have made it out and to the designated meeting point, make sure to call 911 if the authorities are not already present.

J.        Escape and Safety from a Vehicle Fire

If you find yourself trapped in a burning vehicle, it is a serious situation and can be very overwhelming. Vehicle fires have been known to produce more than 1500 degrees Fahrenheit. Vehicles fires are also dangerous due to their reach. If the fire is caused by an accident, escape options can be limited depending on the severity of wreckage. Jammed seatbelts and doors tend to be common reasons for a difficult escape. In you are involved in a rollover and your vehicle stops upside down; your own weight could potentially jam your seatbelt and hinder your escape.

Like in other disaster circumstances, being prepared can save your life. The following are a list of escape tools that can be lifesavers if used correctly:

• A knife to cut your way out of your seatbelt

• A hammer or other tool to break the window

• A fire extinguisher to put the fire out

• A source of communication to call for help

Statistically, most vehicle fires originate in the motor. Some quick basic steps to escape a vehicle are as follows:

If the vehicle is in motion and you notice fire or smoke that is not just oil from your motor, pull over immediately, and turn the engine off. If there are flames, the longer the vehicle is in motion and running, the more oxygen the fire is getting. Stay calm and assess your situation. Make sure to pull far enough off the road and if possible, warn oncoming traffic. Having a traffic cone or two in your prep gear will be useful here.

• Get you and anyone else out of the vehicle immediately by breaking the window if necessary. Break a window with the window-breaking object in the kit you prepared.

• If you are upside down and your seat belt is stuck, use a knife or sharp object to cut your way out.

• If you have fire in the cabin of your vehicle, extinguish it as necessary, to escape.

Never open the hood or trunk if you suspect a fire as there is risk of fueling the fire and potentially injuring yourself.

• Distance yourself from the vehicle.

• Never return to the vehicle once it is engulfed.

• Contact 911

K.      Preventing Vehicle Fires

L.       What to Do If Your Clothes Catch Fire

Although it may be, your instinct is to run from the fire, doing so when your clothing is on fire, will only add oxygen, and intensify the fire. The best thing to do is lay down on the ground (ideally not on anything flammable) and attempt to put the fire out by rolling back and forth to smother it. In addition, laying down on the floor keeps the flames from moving directly to your upper body, hair, and face. We commonly refer to this as the stop, drop, and roll method.

M.   How to Protect Yourself from Smoke

Statistically, you have less than two minutes to evacuate before smoke and fire become too intense and eventually will engulf the entire house. In the heat of the moment, it is easy to become disoriented, and make consequential decisions, so preparedness is critical. When in any fire it is highly beneficial to have a plan and resources if possible. The quickest way to protect yourself from smoke in a house fire is to remain low to the ground and to have a piece of cloth available to wrap over your nose and mouth. Although this does not stop all the toxic chemicals from entering your lungs, it does deter and filter it.

N.     How Smoke from Fires Can Affect Your Health

Smoke is composed of a variety of gasses and particles. Smoke inhalation of any kind is hazardous to the lungs. The biggest threat are the fine particles which make their way into the lungs and settle causing a wide variety of breathing disorders including COPD, cancer, and various other serious lung issues. Smoke irritates eyes, inflames nasal passages, which is linked to chronic heart disease, and can sometimes cause premature death. Professionals who work around smoke regularly are more susceptible to the effects of the smoke.