Things We Should Never Do In The Event Of A Fire

1. Breaking windows makes the fire GROW

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When you're trapped inside a fire sometimes your natural instincts work against you. For example, when you're being consumed with smoke your natural response would be to break a window to get to the air. But this is SO dangerous as the oxygen can fuel the fire and cause the fire to grow massively in a split second.

2. Going back for your possessions means you may not make it out alive

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No matter how expensive your handbag is, how sentimental a photograph is, or how much you are attached to your childhood toy...NONE of this is worth your life. Making that decision to go back into the house to save an inanimate object could be the choice between life and death.

3. If a door handle is hot do NOT open it

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If you're trying to get out of a fire and you need an escape route, do NOT open the doors with hot handles. The handle is hot because the fire is close to the door on the other side, meaning that when you open that door you are allowing more fire into your vicinity which could consume you.

4. Don't hide from the fire - you may never be found

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It's fight or flight that makes us want to run or hide. But hiding in the case of fire is never a good idea. If you've found a hiding place, then when the emergency services come they may not be able to find you. You need to be somewhere that they can get to you and safely remove you as fast as possible!

5. Never take a lift as you could get stuck inside

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Taking a lift when there's a fire is just about one of the worst things you could do. Electrics quickly fail when there's a fire, meaning that the life would stop operating. You'd then be trapped inside a lift, surrounded by fire. The lift would VERY quickly fill with smoke and carbon dioxide.

6. Running through fire never works

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If you've watched movies where people run through fire, just remember that that's a movie with a stunt person wearing fireproof clothing. This isn't real life and it's a terrible idea. Running will make the flames grow faster meaning that running through fire could make things so much worse and you cannot get out unscathed.

7. Aiming a fire extinguisher at the top of the flames is useless

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If you've got a fire extinguisher you need to act quickly and you've probably got very limited resources and don't want to waste time trying to put out the flames by aiming it at the top of the middle. The fuel is coming from the bottom, so the only way to properly extinguish it is from the root of the fire.8. Don't cover your face with a towel to escape because it could catch fire

8. Don't panic an make irrational choices!

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Okay you're probably think, who WOULDN'T panic in the event of a fire? Of course we would, we're only human! But don't panic to the point that you don't act in a rational way or make rash choices about what to do. Take a breath, get yourself away and call for help!

9. Never leave doors open in a fire because the fire will spread faster

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When there's a fire it's natural to try and protect your face, especially because you'll also want to stop inhaling so much smoke. But a towel around your face is extremely flammable and could actually pose much more of a danger because it could easily set alight!

10. Don't try to get to high ground, it can be 500x hotter!

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It's simple physics that heat rises. But, it's still super shocking to discover that a fire at eye level is 500 times hotter than a fire at floor level....which is still about 100 degrees Celsius. So when you try and get to higher ground you may be doing the wrong thing, unless this is your only chance at escaping!

11. Don't assume someone has already called 911 because they might do the same!

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If there's any way you have of contacting the emergency services whilst you're involved in a fire - then call them. Don't think just because you may be involved in the fire and someone else is a bystander that they will have called. It's not always the case because they often assume the same thing... 'someone else will have done it'.

12. Don't throw any kind of liquid at the fire, it could make it worse

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What puts out the fire? Water, yes. But not ANY liquid. Don't just see a liquid and assume that it will help to put out a fire because some liquids are extremely flammable and could make the fire uncontrollably worse. If you have an inkling that it's a chemical or a flammable substance... don't let it get near a naked flame.

13. Don't be generic in telling the emergency services where you are as they might not find you

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Be super, super specific when you're telling the emergency services where to find you. The greatest amount of detail is better because saving three seconds looking for you could be the difference between saving you and being too late. So relay all the details you know.

14. Don't stay anywhere that you could get trapped

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Don't just lock yourself in a place away from the fire where you could possibly get trapped. If there's no way out, it's definitely not a safe space to stay. If you're in a room with one entrance and the fire consumes the outside of the entrance you will be trapped.

15. If a hot pan has caught fore don't try and move it!

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When a pan catches fire you may think that you should remove it from the environment as quickly as possible by quickly taking it outside. This is wrong. Do NOT run outside with the fan, you will fan the flames, and everything could end up catching fire. Instead, place a huge pan or container over the fire to extinguish it

16. When clothes catch alight don't run in panic

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It's the same principle with clothes. However, this is even more crucial that you do not run if your clothes catch fire. The exact opposite is what you should do. You've probably heard of 'stop, drop, and roll', and this is because rolling onto the flames takes away the oxygen and kills the fire. Running GIVES oxygen to the fire!

17. Don't throw water on a cooking pan that has been set on fire

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If you have a cooking pan that's set on fire do not pour water on it to put it out. Water on a hot pan or hot oil will spit and could scold your face and body causing severe pain and injury to you! Instead, you need to smother the flames with a large container to put the fire out.

18. Don't stand around, fires become an emergency in just a few seconds

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Don't stand around wondering what to do, or think that the fire may go out on its own. Your quick thinking and reaction could be the difference between an uncontrollable fire and a fire that the emergency services can quickly fight. So don't panic, think clearly and call immediately!

19. Don't try and fight the fire, you can lose consciousness within seconds

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What you should never do is try and fight fire yourself. Professionals who are specially trained and properly equipped are the only people who can fight the fire. If you try, you could lose consciousness within just a few seconds. You have to clear the area instead.

20. Don't climb into the roof, it's even more dangerous

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Climbing onto the roof is often the first port of call in an emergency evacuation. But heat rises, meaning that below the surface of the roof are the hottest part of the fire. And the roof cannot last long in a fire, so it can either explode or collapse, meaning that you could fall straight inside.

21. Don't hesitate to call for emergency help...fire can kill in less than a minute

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There's often something stopping us from calling the emergency services when we aren't sure if they're fully necessary. We don't want to waste their time or be dramatic if it's not necessary. But it's always better to call, and fire isn't something that you can wait about for because it can grow into a disaster in seconds.

22. Don't try to cause obstructions to the fire, it will only slow down being saved

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Don't try and put obstructions in the way of doors to block the fire passage because it could stop the emergency services from being able to get you out in time. Making it impossible for the firefighters to get you out is ruining your best chance of survival!

23. Don't jump out of high windows to escape unless it's life or death

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Getting out of a high window is a very last resort when the fire is so great that you have absolutely no other choice. It's a life-or-death decision. Because otherwise, you could be endearing yourself even more by trying to escape, than you may be waiting for the firefighters.

24. Don't fan flames, it will make the fire worse

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Do not try and fan the flames out...this will make things so much worse. Oxygen and fire equal a much bigger, more dangerous fire that can very quickly turn into a disaster. So whatever you do, try and starve the fire of oxygen rather than feed it with more!

25. Don't use your phone during a fire unless it's to call 911

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Don't take out your phone to update somebody about how you are or to take a video of the growing fire. The only thing you should be doing on your phone is speaking to the emergency services. You do not know how long your phone will last in the heat and you have to make your call count.

26. Don't ignore the signs of fires or it could be too late

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If you've noticed signs of fire and you can't tell what is happening inside a building, trust your instincts and call the emergency services. Signs of a fire generally mean fire and you could be preventing something from getting so much worse by making that choice. It's better than looking back and wondering 'what if'...

27. Don't use a wet towel to touch things, or to protect your face!

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Using a wet towel to touch hot things instantly makes it a conductor of heat. The thought process behind it can be that the person doesn't want it to catch fire. But, the water helps the heat pass through so you could be seriously burned by using a wet towel.

28. Don't assume that smoke is safer than fire, it can still kill quickly

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Smoke is also deadly, it's not just fire that can kill. So just because you can smell and see smoke and fire, does not mean that you're in the clear by any means. Smoke can still kill someone super easily. So be as cautious with smoke as you naturally would be when you see fire!

29. Never use water to put out an electrical fire, it could electrocute you

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Water and electricity is a huge no-no and we all know that. But some of us forget that in the event of a fire because we see flames and automatically assume we should apply water. But putting water onto an electrical fire can also result in electrocution!

30. Don't go straight back inside a house after a fire has been put out because the toxins can kill!

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Once you think that a fire is fully out you probably an to go and investigate and check out the damage. But you can't enter into a place that has not long been extinguished because there are harmful toxins in abundance, still being released or lingering in the air that can kill.