San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Have a plan — and practice
The majority of fire deaths — about 85% — happen in homes. Yet just 1 in 5 families has practiced getting out of their house in the event of a fire. Do you know how you’d escape from each room if a fire breaks out? If the answer is no, it’s time to make a plan and practice.
Walk through your home and identify exits and escape routes, making sure doors and windows can be easily opened. Install alarms in every room where someone sleeps.
Keep hallways and stairs free of clutter. Choose a meeting place outside — say the nearest stop sign or light post. Assign someone to get the pets. Practice escape routes twice a year, making the drill as realistic as possible, according to the Red Cross. The idea is to practice, not scare children, so it doesn’t need to be a surprise drill. Drills should include making sure children know not to go back for toys, not to hide and not to go near the fire.
Teach children to “get low and go.” Have them practice escaping each room by crawling along the perimeter to an exit and to “stop, drop and roll” if their clothing catches fire.
If children are fearful about fire or fire drills at school or home make them anxious, try visiting a fire station or turning the drills into games, perhaps “Simon says, ‘Get low and go.’ ”
For those in multistory homes or buildings, practice setting up and using escape ladders from a firstfloor window.
Not everyone may be able to get out, so family members should be taught how to insulate themselves in a room by closing doors and using towels or duct tape to seal cracks. Those who are stranded should wave a flashlight or lightcolored clothing at the window so firefighters know where they are.
Turn on emergency alert notification on your cell phones. This will allow you to get alerts when a vegetation or other kind of fire becomes a threat. Also, sign up for your county’s emergency alert system if applicable.
When an evacuation is anticipated, follow these checklists — if time allows — to give your home the best chance of surviving a wildfire:
OUTSIDE
Monitor your property and the fire situation. Don’t wait for an evacuation order if you feel threatened and need to leave.
Check on neighbors and make sure they are preparing to leave.
Move propane barbecue appliances away from structures. Turn off propane tanks.
Gather up flammable items (patio furniture, toys, doormats, trash cans, etc.) from outside the house and bring them inside or place them in your pool.
Seal attic and ground vents with precut plywood or commercial seals.
Have a ladder available and place it at the corner of the house for firefighters to quickly access your roof.
Connect garden hoses to outside water valves or spigots for use by firefighters. Fill water buckets and place them around your house.
Leave exterior lights on so your home is visible to firefighters in the smoke or darkness of night.
Don’t leave sprinklers on or water running; they can affect critical water pressure.
Make sure emergency supply kit is in your vehicle.
Back your car into the driveway, for quick getaway, with vehicle loaded and all doors and windows closed. Carry your car keys with you.
Remove flammable window shades and curtains. Close metal shutters.
Turn off the air conditioning.
Leave your lights on so firefighters can see your house under smoky conditions.
Move flammable furniture to the center of the room, away from windows and doors.
Shut all windows and doors, leaving them unlocked.
Locate your pets and keep them nearby.
Prepare farm animals for transport, and think about moving them to a safe location early.