A small apartment fire can turn lethal if left unattended, leading to a traumatic experience. An apartment fire is equally dangerous for the landlord as well as the tenants. Apartment fires typically lead to property damage or even liver damage in severe cases.
Residents must know what to do for better Chicago fire safety if there’s a fire in an apartment building. Therefore, we will discuss the best approaches in such dire situations in this article—let’s start.
What to Do If There’s a Fire in Your Apartment Building
An apartment fire typically costs a lot. According to statistics, there were 8 deaths for 1,000 fires in the U.S. It’s an alarming situation considering there’s a lot to consider. If you want to minimize this damage, knowing the best ways to handle yourself during this stress is necessary. Here’s what you should do.
1. Stay as Calm As Possible
The biggest reasons for large damages are that people panic during apartment fires. We understand that it can be traumatizing, but you need to take control and be as calm as possible. You can put yourself in higher danger if you try to get out of the situation quickly.
So, it’s best to avoid exiting without your keys. You shouldn’t touch the door handle or knob as it could burn your hand. You should also better understand your building design for emergency exits. We also recommend checking for fire extinguisher servicing if you don’t wish to end up helpless in the apartment fire. Calmly make your way out; if you can’t, stay under a cover, so you don’t get damaged.
2. Call the Police
Regardless of your competence, having law enforcement agencies in an apartment fire can significantly reduce the chances of damage from apartment fires. We recommend calling 911 so they can dispatch a unit for help as soon as possible.
Informing the local police also ensures you share your location so the firefighters can get to you as quickly as possible. You can also share fire extinguisher maintenance issues with the enforcement team so they can prepare for the rescue mission accordingly.
3. Stay Low if You Leave
Smoke during apartment fires is one of the biggest reasons for suffocation and deaths. The smoke could damage your respiratory system even if you don’t die. We recommend staying as low on the ground as you can while leaving.
The smoke cloud accumulates on the top of the room, and staying low help you prevent inhaling it. Ideally, you should be around 25 inches near the ground to avoid suffocation because of the smoke.
Bottom Line
An apartment fire can damage your safety, property, and life in severe cases. We recommend following the tips in this article, and you should have no problem getting out safely. If you want more guidance, feel free to contact Connected Fire for more tips and tricks.