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Fire Statistics
- The NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency) reports that in 2003, 79% of all fire deaths occurred in the home.1
- Smoke detectors in a home typically increase the likelihood of surviving a fire by 40-60%.1
- In 2006, $11.3B worth of property was lost due to fires.2
- 93.3% of property loss was due to accidentally set fires.2
Duck Walk
 In a fire the air nearest the floor is coolest but can be deadly. Gases given off by burning plastics, nylons, dacrons and other chemical-based products burn heavier than air and are extremely deadly. The safety zone is approximately 18 inches above the floor. If caught in a fire the safest way to get out is to crawl on your hands and knees or duck walk like you did in childhood games.
Make a Plan
An important safety-training rule to adopt in every home and workplace is to have a meeting point outside where everyone gathers in the event of a fire. This rendezvous point can be as simple as a neighbor's driveway down the block. Having a meeting place stops confusion about who got out and who may remain in the dwelling.
Feel Your Way
 Opening a door could produce a deadly explosion when the colder air from your side mixes with the hotter air on the other side of the door, resulting in a back draft explosion. Feel the door on your side first. If it feels hot to the touch, do not open it. If it doesn't feel especially hot, brace your foot against the bottom of the door and open the door a few inches, just enough to feel the air on the other side. If you feel hot air, close the door and exit through a window. If not, you can proceed out the door, staying low, above 18 inches.
Don't Play Firefighter
You should not attempt to put out the fire. According to the National Fire Protection Association you have less than two minutes to escape a burning home alive. Wait until you get out before you call the fire department.
Teach Your Children
 Children playing with fire cause hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries each year. Preschoolers are most likely to start these fires, typically by playing with matches and lighters, and are most likely to die in them. Teach your children to "Stop, Drop and Roll" should clothing ever catch fire. Running only fans the fire, making it more deadly.
Use Detection
 Install smoke detectors in every bedroom and in common areas of your home. Smoke detectors save lives but only if the batteries are maintained. Monitored smoke detectors as part of a security system can quickly report a fire to authorities whether or not you are home. Carbon monoxide from heating systems can also be a hazard, and 75% of CO deaths happen in the home.
Additional fire safety information can be found at www.nfpa.org.
Sources:
1. National Fire Protection Association
2. United States FIre Administration
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