Fire Safety

Recently Answered

• QHow can I safely build a fire during the holidays?

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  A HealthyWomen answered

  To safely build a fire during the holidays:

  • Remove greenery, bows, papers and other decorations from the fireplace area.
  • Make sure the flue is open.
  • Keep a screen in front of the fireplace while the fire is burning.
  • Use care with "fire salts," which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fires. Keep them away from children because they contain heavy metals that are harmful if eaten.
  • Do not burn wrapping paper in the fireplace. It can cause a flash fire and some types of paper emit harmful chemicals. 
• QHow can I use candles safely during the holidays?

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  A HealthyWomen answered

  Whether your family observes Christmas or Hanukkah (or both), it's important to be careful when using candles during the holidays, especially if you have young children or pets. Here are some important safety precautions to take with candles:

  • Never use lighted candles on a tree or near greenery.
  • Keep candles away from wrapping paper and other decorations.
  • Place candles where they won't be knocked down or blown over (remember, cats, dogs and children can get to candles in places you'd never suspect!).
  • Don't leave a room or fall asleep with candles burning.
  • Keep matches and lighters safely stored away from children.
• QWhat should I do to be prepared for a house fire?

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  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  Almost all fatal fires occur in a home with no smoke alarm, because the #1 threat from a fire is not heat or flames, but smoke, which can suffocate you in minutes. Follow this guide to get out quickly and safely.

  • Smoke detectors: Check with your local fire marshall to learn the laws about how many you must have. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends having one in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every floor. Change batteries twice a year when you change your clocks.
  
  • Fire extinguishers: Like smoke detectors, the more, the better, but the NFPA advises that they should only be used for small, contained fires. To use, pull the pin, stand back, and spray in sweeping motions over a large area.
   
  • Escape ladders: Every bedroom above the first floor should have a folding escape ladder. They're inexpensive, but fire departments often give them out to families who can't afford them.
  
  • Home escape plan: Create a floor plan with all doors, windows, and escape ladder locations clearly marked. Convene a family meeting twice a year to review the floor plan, practice turning the thermostat off while blindfolded (AC systems feed fires and spread smoke), and discuss your escape plan.
• QWhat should I do if there is a fire in my house?

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  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  If there is a fire in your house, do the following:

  • Check the door: If it's hot, step away. If the door is open and you see
    smoke or fire, close it.
  
  • Block the smoke: Using blankets or towels, cover the bottom of the door
    to slow the smoke's entry.
  
  • Get low: The temperature near the ground can be 600 degrees cooler
    than near the ceiling and the air is clearer.
  
  • Crawl to the window: A room can fill with smoke in as little as 3 minutes,
    so move quickly. Stay low, crawling on knuckles and knees (the synthetic
    fibers of rugs can burn your palms). Open the window, and if you're on
    the first or second floor, jump (a broken bone is better than the other
    option). If you're higher, stay crouched below the windowsill--it's the
    first place rescuers will look for you.
• QWhat should I do if someone catches on fire?

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  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  If you or someone you love catches fire, do the following:

    • Stop, drop, and roll if it's you. If it's someone else, smother the flames
      with a wet towel if you have one, a dry one if not, and put the flames
      out.
   
    • Get them down if the person is panicking, you may need to use a leg
      sweep, but get the person on the ground and the fire out.
  
    • Call 911.
  
    • If you can, gently remove the burned clothing. If it is sticks to the skin,
      keep it cool and wet and leave it alone, then wrap the wounds in a
      clean sheet.
  
  

    • Watch for shock. If the person is uncommunicative, delirious, or looks
      pale, they may be in shock. Use blankets to warm them and elevate
      their legs to bring blood back to their head.

• QHow should I prepare my child in case of a fire?

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  A RealAge answered

  All children should be taught what to do in case of fire. Plan escape routes with your children, and have fire drills so they’ll be prepared in the case of an emergency. Contact your local fire department for more information about keeping your family safe and prepared in the event of a fire.

  From Good Kids, Bad Habits: The RealAge Guide to Raising Healthy Children by Jennifer Trachtenberg.

• QWhat do I need to know about home fire safety?

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  A RealAge answered

  Domestic fires pose one of the greatest risks to children. The easiest way to prevent tragedy is to use smoke alarms. Install at least one smoke alarm on each floor of your home, and check monthly that the alarms are working properly. Replace the batteries annually. One good way to remember to do this is to change the batteries when you change the clocks each spring or fall.

  It’s important that you work out an escape plan with all of your children. Teach them to feel a door for heat before opening to be sure the exit is safe, and make sure your children know two ways out of the house in case one is blocked by fire. Let your children know that no matter how scary a fire might be, it’s never okay to hide during an emergency. Also, firefighters in all their gear may look and sound scary to young children, so be sure your children know firefighters are heroes who are there to protect them. Taking a field trip to the local fire station can help kids become more familiar with firefighters and fire safety.

  Your family should choose a meeting place such as a neighbor’s front yard in case of fire. Rehearse the plan so that in the heat of an emergency your children will remember what to do.

  Studies show that children may sleep through a smoke alarm. Test the alarm during the night when family members are asleep to find out if this is a problem. In an emergency, you will know who you need to wake up despite a blaring smoke alarm.

  From Good Kids, Bad Habits: The RealAge Guide to Raising Healthy Children by Jennifer Trachtenberg.

• QWhere should I install smoke alarms?

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  A RealAge answered

  It is important to place smoke alarms correctly.

  • Place alarms on the ceiling or 6 to 12 inches below the ceiling on the wall.
  • Place alarms away from registers or air vents.
  • Avoid areas with high airflow or dead air space (often at the top of a peaked roof).

  From Good Kids, Bad Habits: The RealAge Guide to Raising Healthy Children by Jennifer Trachtenberg.

• QWhat should I do if I might have difficulty escaping a fire?

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  A Shelley Peterman Schwarz , Neurology, answered

  Let your local fire department know if you might have difficulty escaping from your home in the event of a fire. If you have family members living with you, practice a fire drill at home. Show children how the smoke detector works and what it sounds like. Encourage your children to sleep with their doors closed; doing so will buy them time by keeping the smoke and heat out of the room in the event of a fire. Be sure to discuss how important it might be to run to a neighbor’s house to get help and call the fire department, emphasizing that leaving the house to get help would not mean they are abandoning their pets or family members. Contact your local fire department for more information on home fire safety.
• QHow can I keep my family safe from fire or burn injuries?

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  A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) answered

  Here are some tips on how to prevent injuries from fires or burns:
  

  • Use smoke alarms -- where people sleep and on every level of the home -- and test monthly.
  • Create and practice a family fire escape plan.
  • Install a home fire sprinkler system if possible.

  The presence of the CDC logo and CDC content on this page should not be construed to imply endorsement by the US Government of any commercial products or services, or to replace the advice of a medical professional. The mark “CDC” is licensed under authority of the PHS.

  See All 2 Answers