An Ounce of Prevention
The best kind of fire is the one that never happens. Much of this is common sense, but we all tend to get a little lax about our safety practices. If the electrical wiring in the home is old, get it checked out by an electrician. Use candles with caution, and children should not be left alone by an open flame. Make use of the grates around the fireplace and keep a fire extinguisher handy (and make sure your family knows how to use it.) Also, don't plug in more than two appliances in the same electrical outlet if you can help it. Keep gasoline locked up and space heaters at least 3-feet away from anything that could burn (e.g., clothes or pillows.)
Practice Makes Perfect
Your family will need to go over an escape route again and again until they have it down pat. When a fire hits, panic sets in and causes people of all ages to make truly poor decisions. No matter how many diagrams you draw or lectures you give, the repetition of the activity offsets those feelings of terror that arise. Come up with various scenarios to practice (e.g., if the fire is coming from the kitchen vs. one of the bedrooms), and go over them as many times as you need to. Experts say at least twice a year, but for young kids or those especially prone to panic, you may want a few more run-throughs.
Tips For Your Escape Route
Try for at least two escape routes out of every room (e.g., door and window.) Assign one adult to get children or infants out of the home and have a backup plan in case that person gets injured. Have children practice using the back of their hands to test how hot something is. Heat rises and smoke chokes, so the key is to get everyone as low to the ground as possible while still moving towards safety. Never go back into the house once you're out. Finally, if the absolute worst comes to worst and you're unable to exit a room, cover any openings where smoke might get in and either call 911 or signal at a window for help.
