What to do in a fire

傅红

Fire drills（消防演习） are a big part of being safe in school： They prepare you for what you need to do in case of a fire. But what if there was a fire where you live？ Would you know what to do？ Talking about fires can be scary （可怕的） because no one likes to think about people getting hurt or their things getting burned. But you can feel less worried if you are prepared.

Its a good idea for families to talk about what they would do to escape （逃离） a fire. Different families will have different ways. Some kids live in one-story houses and other kids live in tall buildings. Youll want to talk about escape plans and escape routes， so lets start there.

Know your way out

An escape plan can help every member of a family get out of a burning house. The idea is to get outside quickly and safely. Smoke from a fire can make it hard to see where things are， so its important to learn and remember the different ways out of your home. How many exits （出口） are there？ How do you get to them from your room？ Its a good idea to have your family draw a map of the escape plan.

Its possible one way out could be stopped by fire or smoke， so youll want to know where other ones are. And if you live in a flat building， youll want to know the best way to the stairwell （樓梯间） or other emergency （紧急） exits.

Safety steps

If youre in a room with the door closed when the fire breaks out， you need to take a few other steps：

Check to see if theres heat or smoke coming from the cracks（裂缝） around the door. （Youre checking to see if theres fire on the other side.）

If you see smoke coming under the door — dont open the door！

If you dont see smoke — touch the door. If the door is hot or very warm — dont open the door！

If you dont see smoke — and the door is not hot — then use your fingers to lightly touch the doorknob（门把手）. If the doorknob is hot or very warm — dont open the door！

If the doorknob feels cool， and you cant see any smoke around the door， you can open the door very carefully and slowly. When you open the door， if you feel a burst（突发） of heat or smoke pours into the room， quickly shut the door and make sure it is really closed. If theres no smoke or heat when you open the door， go toward your escape exit.

Stay low

If you can see smoke in the house， stay low to the ground as you make your way to the exit. In a fire， smoke and poisonous（有毒的） air hurt more people than the actual flames （火焰） do. Youll breathe less smoke if you stay close to the ground.

Smoke naturally rises， so if there is smoke while youre using your escape exit， staying low means you can crawl （爬） under most of it. You can drop to the floor and crawl on your hands and knees below the smoke.

Exiting through a door that leads outside should be your first choice as an escape route （路線）， but also ask your parents about windows and if they would be possible escape routes. Even windows on a higher floor could be safe escape routes if you had help， like from a firefighter or another adult.

Ask your parents to teach you how to unlock the windows， and open them. Make sure you only do this in an emergency！ Lots of kids are hurt because they fall out of windows.

Sometimes， families even have rescue ladders （软梯） that can be used to escape from upper floors of a house. If you have one， ask your mom or dad to show you how it works.

Besides planning your escape routes， youll also want to know where family members will meet outside. This is helpful because then everyone shows up in one place and youll know that everyone is safe. You might choose the front porch（走廊） of a neighbors house or some other nearby spot.

Its normal to worry about your pets or a favorite toy， but if there is a fire， you have to leave them behind. The most important thing is that you get out safely. Its also important to know that you shouldnt stay in the house any longer than you must — not even to call 119. Someone else can make that call from outside.

Once youre out， do not go back in for anything — even pets. You can tell the fire rescue people about any pets that were left behind and they may be able to help.

What if you cant get out right away？

If you cant get out fast， because fire or smoke is blocking an escape route， youll want to shout for help. You can do this from an open window or call 119 if you have a phone with you.

Even if youre afraid， never hide under the bed or in a closet（柜子）. Then， firefighters will have a hard time finding you. Know that firefighters or other adults will be looking for you to help you out safely. The sooner they find you， the sooner you both can get out.

At the same time， keep heat and smoke from getting through the door by blocking the cracks around the door with sheets， blankets， and/or clothing. If there is a window in the room that is not possible to escape from， open it wide and stand in front of it. If you can grab （抓住） a piece of clothing or a towel， place it over your mouth to keep from breathing in the smoke. This works even better if you wet the cloth first.

By following this advice， youll be doing important work — preventing fires in the first place！