Fire! Can You Get Out In Time?

According to research done by the Oliver Paipoonge municipality, a house fire happens every half hour in Canada. A death occurs from one of those fires roughly every 35 hours. Don’t let your family become part of those statistics—many of these injuries are avoidable if you have a sound escape plan in place to protect you and your family if a fire occurs in your home. Here’s how.

Establishing an Escape Plan

You and your family should establish an escape plan that outlines at least two exits from each room in your home in the event of a fire. If the primary exit is blocked by fire or smoke, you will need a second way out.

Every member of your family should practise the escape plan each month both in the light and in the dark so that everyone knows how to feel their way out of the house.

Escape Plan 101

When creating an escape plan, incorporate the following elements:

  • When coming to 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 the frame to make sure that the fire is not directly outside. If the door feels hot, use the secondary exit. If the door feels cool, brace yourself against it and open it slowly.
  • Do not waste any time trying to save your personal property. Instead, take the safest exit route.
  • If you must escape through smoke, crawl low under the smoke and cover your mouth.
  • Establish a meeting place outside of the home where everyone knows to go once they are safely out. Designate one person to go to a neighbour’s house to call the fire department.
  • Never go back into a burning home for any reason.

Planning is important when it comes to fires, and that includes having the proper home insurance. Contact us to learn more about all our risk management solutions.

Safety first

Time is your biggest enemy when escaping from a burning building. In less than 30 seconds, a small flame can get completely out of control and can turn into a major fire. Remember…it only takes minutes for a house to fill with thick, black smoke and become engulfed in flames. Proper planning may make the difference between life and death.

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