If you must return to your apartment or remain in your apartment because escape routes are blocked, open a
window slightly to let smoke escape
. Do not break the window because you may need to close it if there is smoke on the outside. Do not jump. You may not survive the fall.
How do you escape an apartment fire?
Get
down low
if there’s smoke in a hallway, it will be easier for you to breathe if you stay lower down to the ground. Be sure to count the number of doors there are between your apartment and the nearest fire exit. Learn your building’s evacuation plan. Practice an escape drill for your apartment.
What do you do if there is a fire in an apartment building?
- Stay calm. There’s a natural inclination to get out as soon as possible. …
- Call 911. If you see or smell smoke, call 911. …
- If you have to leave, stay low to the ground. …
- If you can’t leave, stay where you are.
How do most apartment fires start?
Like other home fires, apartment blazes most often originate from
everyday activities
. The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) reported that half of the residential building fires in 2015 were caused by cooking-related accidents.
How do you escape a fire in a high rise?
Leave the building by the fastest route but do not use elevators. Close all doors behind you and be sure to take your key. If there is smoke or fire on your way out,
use your second way out
. If you must escape through smoke, get low and go under the smoke to your way out.
Is it safe to stay in an apartment after a fire?
Most states, including California,
give tenants a warranty of “habitability
,” which is the right to a livable apartment. If fire leaves your apartment without a working bathroom or a kitchen, for example, your landlord is obligated to fix it as soon as possible, which usually means within 30 days.
What should you not do during a fire?
- Don’t install smoke alarm detectors. …
- Pop upstairs to retrieve heirlooms, passports and pets. …
- Open doors that have smoke billowing from the joints. …
- Throw water on a chip pan fire.
- Try and escape using a Lift. …
- Jump from an upstairs window. …
- Hide in a cupboard or under the bed. …
- Smoke cigarettes in bed.
What are the 5 causes of fire?
- Cooking. Cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires by far, accounting for 48% of all reported residential fires. …
- Heating. Portable heaters are the second-leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries. …
- Electrical Fires. …
- Smoking. …
- Candles. …
- Fire Safety Should Be a Top Priority.
What is the #1 cause of house fires?
Cooking. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the number one cause of house fires is
unattended cooking
. Make sure that you stay in the room while you are cooking with a heat source. … Fire extinguishers should be placed on every level of your house, especially in the kitchen and garage.
What is the most common cause of fire in residential buildings?
Cooking. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the number one cause of house fires is
unattended cooking
. Make sure that you stay in the room while you are cooking with a heat source. If you cannot stay in the room the whole time, ask another adult in the family to watch over your food.
Is living in a high-rise Safe?
To be clear,
there are no inherent risks associated with living
in a high-rise building, but there is a large body of research suggesting that under some circumstances, some demographics do report higher mortality rates living on higher versus lower floors.
Are high-rise apartments safe fire?
Fire safety should be as much a part of high-
rise apartment living as a panoramic view, elevators or doormen. Some apartments have smoke alarms and others have security systems, but these devices alone do not provide complete fire safety. High-rise apartment tenants should develop and practice a fire escape plan.
Are stairwells safe in a fire?
Unless a door into an enclosed stairwell remains open,
a fire should not be capable of spreading into the enclosure
of an enclosed stairway.
Does renters insurance cover fire damage?
In short,
yes
. Renters insurance is designed to cover your personal belongings from loss or damage due to fire, lightning, smoke, theft, vandalism and more. So, if a fire breaks out in your apartment, your personal belongings should be covered.
Do you open windows during a fire?
Opening a window during a fire is
not usually a good idea
. This allows for increased oxygen to fuel the fire and can cause an increase in heat and the rate of fire spread. The only time it may be a good idea to open a window, is if that is the only way for you to safely escape the fire.
What is the first thing you should do when a fire breaks out?
- Know how to safely operate a fire extinguisher.
- Remember to GET OUT, STAY OUT and CALL 9-1-1 or your local emergency phone number.
- Yell “Fire!” several times and go outside right away. …
- If closed doors or handles are warm or smoke blocks your primary escape route, use your second way out.
