Know Your Ways Out in the Event of a Home Fire

4/1/2021 (Permalink)

You need to have an escape route created for your home.

A home fire in Pine Valley, CA, is a scary concept, but one everyone should be prepared for. Knowing your fire escape plan is just as important to fire preparation as maintaining smoke alarms and having firefighting equipment like extinguishers ready in your home.

Creating Your Escape Route

For every person in your home, you need to have an escape route prepared. Each person’s route should include:

• A primary escape route
  
• A secondary escape route
  
• A rendezvous point
  
  

The primary escape route should be through an easily accessible ground floor exit, such as the front door. Secondary escapes should be thoroughly discussed with each member of the family in the event that the primary route is blocked by fire. A secondary route may involve exiting through second-story windows; if so, make sure there is an escape ladder stored near the egress window.
Often overlooked, the post-exit meeting point is a critical element of your fire escape plan. It can be by the mailbox, at a neighbor’s home, or on the curb across the street, so long as it is a safe distance from your home.

Knowing Your Back-Up Plan
In the unlikely scenario that every one of your planned escape routes is compromised, ensure that your family knows how to shelter in place. Closing doors slows the spread of fire and smoke, keeping you safe longer as well as decreasing property damage and the need for fire restoration services. Stuffing towels, especially ones that are wet, in the space between the bottom of a door and floor can keep smoke out of a room. Have something on hand you can use to signal your location to rescuers when they arrive, like a brightly colored shirt or towel.
Take time to talk about your fire escape plan with your family so that when the dust has settled, all of you are safe and ready to start on the work of restoring your home.