Your ability to get out of your home during a fire depends on advance warning from smoke alarms and advance planning.
Fire can spread rapidly through your home, leaving you as little as one or two minutes to escape safely once the smoke alarm sounds. A closed door may slow the spread of smoke, heat and fire. Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room and outside each separate sleeping area. Install alarms on every level of the home. Pull together everyone in your household and make a plan. Walk through your home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes. Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors.
The below video from the NFPA is a good example of understanding how every second counts.
We have also included a fire escape planning grid so that you can sit down with your family and draw it out together. This is a great activity to do with your kids this week.
