Believing that nothing bad will happen is not always beneficial. People need to know how to deal with dangerous situations, especially fires. A few simple rules will help preserve life and health.
Fires claim lives every day. People often die because they are not ready to act correctly and clearly. Everyone needs to know what to do when a fire is detected, where to run. A few simple rules will help you choose the right tactics of behavior and save you from death.
Evaluate the situation
Many people, once in a room where a fire has occurred, immediately start to panic. You don't need to do this. If smoke or open flames are detected, assess the situation. If the fire site is small, you can extinguish it. In no case should water be poured onto ignited electrical appliances. If possible, it is better to turn off the electricity immediately and turn off the gas. You can use a thick blanket to extinguish household appliances. But it's better to use a fire extinguisher. In public places, it should always be in the public domain. When the fire site is strong, time should not be wasted on extinguishing. You need to save your life. First of all, you need to take the documents, but only if it does not take much time. It is not advisable to search for something, putting yourself in danger. There is nothing more precious than human life. If possible, you should immediately call the emergency services on 112 and report the fire.
Find the right way out
If the escape routes are not blocked, it is better to evacuate through the central exit from the apartment or office space. You only need to go down the stairs. It is strictly forbidden to use the elevator. A fire is always accompanied by panic. In this state, people run without thinking about the direction of movement. Some, having met an obstacle on the way, begin to climb to the upper floors. Such a spontaneous decision can cost life. It is necessary to leave the premises where the fire occurred in accordance with the evacuation schedule. In public places, it is usually hung on the walls.
Crawl
If there is a lot of smoke in a building or apartment, visibility is very weak, you need to lie on the floor and crawl, focusing on the walls. The smoke goes up. When a person lies down on the floor or crouches, he can see better and not so hot. It must be remembered that evacuation is not always possible. When a building is on fire, leaving the apartment is even more dangerous than staying in it. You can touch the metal handle of the front door. If it's hot, it's on fire outside.
Smoke protection
Often, in fires, people die not from fire, but from smoke. Air saturated with combustion products of plastic and other polymers is considered especially dangerous. For this reason, plastic window frames sometimes lead to casualties. In a difficult situation, it is important not to lose your head. To protect yourself from acrid smoke and not to lose consciousness, you need to roll some cloth in several layers, wet it and apply it to your face. A wet cloth will serve as a filter. When you need to act quickly, you can take off your scarf, blouse, or any other thing. If water is not at hand, rescuers advise to urinate on the material. In such a dangerous situation, it is not at all a shame. It must be remembered that a damp cloth will protect the bronchi from harmful substances, but not save from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Rolling on the floor
If clothes catch fire, in no case should you run anywhere. This is often the case for people who start to panic. But these actions only make the situation worse. As you run, the fire flares up even more. To extinguish the flame, you need to lie on the floor and start rolling on it. The fire always goes up. In this position, you are more likely to keep your head, hair and face. If the clothes are on fire on another person, you need to quickly throw something dense over him. A rug, blanket, or coat works great.
Close up in the bathroom or toilet
When evacuation fails, escape routes are cut off, and you can buy time before firefighters arrive by locking yourself in the bathroom or toilet if a fire breaks out in a public place. From the outside, you can hang something on the door handle. For rescuers, this will be a signal that someone is inside. Once in a locked room, you need to immediately wet a towel or removed clothing to fill in the cracks under the door. The taps should be opened. If a fire has occurred in an apartment, it is worth getting into a bathtub filled with water.
Run out onto the balcony
In the event of a fire, in no case should you open wide windows or a balcony door. The inflow of air will only intensify the fire. But if the escape route is cut off, the right solution would be to go to the balcony. This must be done quickly, immediately closing the door behind you from the outside. All gaps should be covered with blankets or clothing that is at hand. It is easier to signal from the balcony that a person is in danger. Often people jump out of burning houses in panic. Lifeguards do not recommend doing this if the floor is higher than the third. In such cases, the risk of death is too great. It is worth waiting for help. As a last resort, you can tie the sheets or use other available means as ropes. It is better to jump from the second floor, after hanging on the slope with outstretched arms. At the same time, the legs must be kept in a bent state and try to fall on their side after touching the ground. It is better to fall flat on your back on a stretched fabric, not as a soldier. Before making a decision to evacuate, you need to take care of the people who may be in the same room, help children and the elderly to get out.
