How to Get Out When Minutes Matter During a Fire | SERVPRO of West Seattle and Burien

12/22/2023 (Permalink)

A home fire outbreak happens when you least expect it. That's why SERVPRO of West Seattle and Burien is prepared to restore your space. Call us now!

When a house fire starts, chaos can ensue. It can be really scary and overwhelming to try to get all of your kids and pets out of the house if you aren’t prepared, and it can even be dangerous if your children don’t know how to get out of your home during an emergency. 

Having a plan in place ahead of any disaster situation is crucial, but especially when it comes to fire. Most house fires can grow out of control in just a few minutes, so making sure your family knows what to do and where to go is essential to everyone’s safety. Use the tips below to create your own family’s fire escape plan.

Creating Your Plan  

Gather your family and start by walking around your home and discussing the different places that house fires are most likely to start. Point out outlets, heat sources, kitchen appliances and the fireplace, and discuss how fires start and spread. 

After that, grab a sheet of paper and draw a diagram of your house, including all of the windows and doors in each room. Have your kids point out each exit point for each room in your home, making sure they understand that windows need to be included in the plan. Just be sure that they understand that windows are only to be opened and used in an emergency situation. 

If you live in an apartment, you also need to identify the exit points once you are outside of your apartment and in the hallway. Show your kids the stairwells and fire escape, and explain that elevators are never to be used during a fire situation. 

Once that is all done, head outside and find a central meeting location that you can all get to easily in an emergency. Places like a mailbox, your neighbor’s driveway or a big tree across the street are all good ideas.

Practice, Practice, Practice 

Having an exit plan is essential, but you have to practice it for your kids to be able to retain the information! Create little scenarios regularly for your kids to reenact regularly. Have them pick different spaces in your home to play and then push the test button on your smoke alarm and time your kids to see how long it takes them to get out of their rooms.

Once they are in the hallways, have them crawl toward the exits while you explain the dangers of fire smoke. When they are all outside and at the safe meeting location, choose one of your children to simulate calling 911 and discuss what to tell the dispatcher when the phone is answered. 

Recovering After a Fire

House fires are almost always unpredictable, so this is why having a plan already in place is so important. If you are prepared and then do suffer a house fire, your chances of everyone getting out quickly and safely increases drastically.

While it can be really emotional to see your home literally go up in flames, know that our fire damage restoration team is always here to help as soon as the fire department extinguishes the flames. We will work alongside you and your insurance company to make sure your home is restored and repaired from the ground up. 

We can remove damaged debris, remove smoke odors from the air, walls and from your possessions, and we can even rebuild entire sections of your home if needed. Our full-service construction crew will make sure every part of your home is restored to your satisfaction.

Experienced a house fire? Give SERVPRO of West Seattle and Burien a call right away.