Planning Your Household’s Fire Escape Route | SERVPRO® of East Mecklenburg/Matthews

7/5/2022 (Permalink)

If your home is damaged in a house fire, SERVPRO® of East Mecklenburg/Matthews is Here to help. Contact us for any fire restoration needs.

A house fire is a frightening and traumatic thing for anyone to experience. Fires can start and spread rapidly, resulting in a panicked state that can disarm even the most level-headed family member—this is why it is so important to create a fire escape route in advance that everyone in your household is familiar with.

While we all hope we never have to experience a house fire, having an escape route in place and practicing your evacuation drills often can ensure that if a fire does occur in your home, everyone will know exactly what to do.

Here are our top tips for getting your plan together and keeping everyone safer:

Identify all of your home’s exits. Every area of your home should have at least two exits to account for all possibilities for where a fire could start and how it could spread. If you have rooms upstairs that are too high to jump from, consider purchasing emergency ladders to ensure someone could climb down to safety if the door to these rooms becomes blocked by smoke or flames. It is also good to be sure that doorways and windows are not ever blocked, as this could hinder an escape.

Have a plan that works for everyone. If you have young children, elderly adults or someone in the home whose mobility levels may make it difficult for them to escape quickly, make sure they are accounted for in your fire escape plan. Using the buddy system is a great way to ensure that everyone can watch out for one another and make sure all members of the household are rushed to safety. If you have pets in the home, be sure you assign them a buddy as well.

Designate a meeting area. Designating a meeting area for your household members will ensure that everyone can check in after they get to safety—a neighbor’s mailbox is often a good choice. Make sure everyone knows where to head after they escape from the home so you can be sure everyone is accounted for.

If you have damage to your home due to a fire, we are here to help. Get in touch today to learn more about our fire restoration services.