Fire at home – get out, shut the door, call for help
According to the BBK, in a house fire you have on average only about 120 seconds to get to safety. The greatest danger is not the fire but the smoke: just a few breaths can be deadly.
Prevention: smoke alarms
Most fire victims are caught in their sleep. Smoke alarms wake you in time.
- In bedrooms, children's rooms, living rooms, hallways and stairwells – not in kitchens and bathrooms, where steam causes false alarms.
- Test them once a year and replace them after about ten years.
- Know your escape routes and keep them clear.
If there is a fire
- Only fight the fire if you are not putting yourself in danger. Never put out burning fat with water. With electrical fires, switch off the power first.
- Leave the room and close the door. That way the fire gets less oxygen and the smoke stays in the room longer.
- Warn everyone – the people you live with and your neighbours.
- Emergency call: 122 in Austria, 112 in Germany.
Getting out safely
- Never escape through smoke-filled rooms or stairwells.
- In smoke: move on your hands and knees close to the floor – the air is better there.
- If your escape route is full of smoke: go to a window and shout loudly so people outside notice you.
- Close doors behind you but do not lock them – that makes it easier for the fire brigade to search.
Outside
- Check that everyone is out.
- Wait where the fire brigade can see you and tell them where the fire is and whether anyone is still inside.