What to do in case of a fire

3/30/2022 (Permalink)

The Long Branch, NJ fire department fights a house fire on Patten Ave., March 28, 2022.

What should you do if you encounter a fire in your home or business?  The common acronym R.A.C.E. provides some helpful guidelines.  This stands for Rescue, Alarm, Contain, and Extinguish.  These are the priority actions that should be taken.  Unfortunately, they are often not followed in a panic as people typically try to fight the fire themselves, which costs precious time.

Rescue – The priority is life safety.  Smoke and other deadly products of combustion can incapacitate an individual with just a few breaths.  The top priority is rescuing anyone who is in personal danger.

Alarm – Sound the alarm by hitting the fire button on your alarm system or calling 911.  A fire doubles in size every 45 seconds so alerting the fire department to begin their response is your second priority.

Contain – Stopping the spread of the fire is even more important than trying to extinguish the fire.  Closing doors is a simple and effective way of stabilizing the scene and limiting fire spread.  Moving a car away from a burning shed or using a garden hose to spray the vinyl siding next to a grill fire can likewise stop the fire from spreading and causing significantly more damage.  All of these actions should only be attempted if they can be done safely.

Extinguish – Only after the first three actions have been completed should you attempt to extinguish the fire.  Again, only if it can be done safely.  Keep in mind that different types of fires (electrical, grease, gas-fed) may require special techniques to extinguish.  At a minimum, every home and business should have an ABC class fire extinguisher handy as this is the most versatile type of extinguisher.

Of course, once the fire is extinguished, call SERVPRO because a quick response and immediate action can reduce the extent of smoke, water, and other damage.