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Hopefully you never will have a fire in your home, but if you do, you will need to know how to get out safely. Let's say you are awakened out of your sleep by a smoke alarm. What should you do? No, you shouldn't find all your valuable things to take with you. Don't take anything with you. Just get out! Your life is a lot more important than your things. You can buy new things later, but you can't buy a new life. For now, just get yourself out of the burning house to safety.

There should be three ways out of your bedroom. Your door should also be shut when you go to bed at night. Feel your door to see if it is hot before you open it. If it is hot, do not open it because the heat and smoke from the fire outside your room could be so hot that if you opened the door it could kill you! Never open a door that feels hot! Find another way out of the room. Like I said, there should be at least three. Windows are another good way out of a room. If that doesn't work try another way. Do not run or panic whatever you do. If your clothes catch on fire while you are escaping, stop where you are, drop to the ground, and roll until you have smothered the fire.

Once you get outside, there should be some special place that you and your family all know about where you meet. Go immediaitly to that place. If one of your family members is not in that place or if there is a pet still inside the burning house, tell the firefighters and one of them will go get them out of the house. Never go back into the house for anything.

If there is no way for you to get outside, there are a few things you should do. You should close all doors between you and the fire. Then take blankets and sheets and other things and stuff the cracks so that the smoke doesn't come in so much and make it so you can't breathe. Remember that smoke rises so if you stay low, you will be able to breathe better. After you have finished stuffing the cracks with blankets and things, signal to people outside through a window with a flashlight or light colored sheet. Keep signaling until you know they have seen you. Once they know there is someone inside they will send a firefighter in to find you. While you wait be sure to stay calm and don't panic. If the room your are in get really smokey, cover your nose and mouth with a wet towel or your shirt.

| Safety - Introduction | | Home Fire Safety | | Electrical Fire Safety | | Safe Landscaping | | Camping Safety |