- Create fire escape plans for your family and implement them even when your child is still a baby. And then, as your child gets older…they can understand as early as 3 years old…explain fire safety and what the escape plan is.
**Be aware that during a fire, some children might get so frightened that they will try to hide somewhere in the house like under tables or beds…especially if it’s a fire they might have accidentally started.**
Stress to your child that no matter what the reason is for the fire, they never remain in a home or building when there is a fire.
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- Make sure everyone in your family knows two different fire escape routes from every room, whether by window or door, in the event of a fire.
Your children need to know the exact paths they can take to get out of the house as safely as possible.
Some fire experts have suggested having a permanent fire escape ladder outside each of your children’s windows. Practice with your emergency fire escape ladder, so your children can easily get down the ladder without any fear.
- As part of your emergency fire escape plan, have your children practice crawling out of their beds with their mouths covered instead of standing and walking.
USFA also reports. “Never stand up in a fire, always crawl low under the smoke and try to keep your mouth covered” because the heat from a fire is more threatening than the actual flames.
“Room temperatures in a fire can be 100 degrees at floor level and rise to 600 degrees at eye level. Inhaling this super hot air will scorch your lungs.”
- Teach your children to feel the door to see if it is hot.
If it is, they need to do the second option in the fire escape plan. This is one of the reasons it's so important that your child knows two different ways to escape from each room in the house.
- Practice your fire escape plans by feeling your way out or with your eyes closed.
According to the United States Fire Administration (USFA), fire is black. It’s not as bright as people think it is. We are used to seeing bright yellow or orange flames, but inside a house that is on fire, it can be pitch black.
So, it's good to have your children be familiar with doing the escape plans in the dark.
- Also, remind your children that time is very important. Fires spread very quickly. They can double in size every 30 seconds, so an entire room can be in flames in a matter of minutes.
There isn’t time to grab their favorite toy or anything else they may want to keep. They must move as fast as they can to get out of the house.
Stopwatch showing how quickly you must evacuate your home.
- Have a meeting point outside and far enough away from the house where they know they can go to find you.
After everyone is safe and outside the house, then call for help. You can go to a neighbors and call 911 or your local fire department.
- Teach your children that once they are out of the house, they need to STAY OUT. They should NEVER run back into a burning house.
The key to fire escape plans is practice.
We had our fire escape drills twice a year with our family. That way everyone felt secure in terms of what to do and where to go.
- Also, have some evening/middle of the night fire drills for your children. It doesn’t need to be a surprise to them. It’s just so they are able to do the escape plan even after being wakened from a deep sleep.
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