In the event of a house fire, quickly get everyone outside and assembled at a pre-arranged meeting place; designate one person to call 911 or the fire department from a neighbor’s home or cell phone. Once outside, never go back into a burning building.

* Evacuate the house quickly but calmly.

* Feel interior doors before opening them—if a door is hot, do not open it. Leave doors and windows closed unless you must open them to get out.

* Stay low to the floor, on your hands and knees, where the cleanest, most breathable air is. (Smoke inhalation is the most common cause of fire fatalities.)

Small House Fire
* First, call 911 or the fire department.
* You can control a small fire with an A-B-C fire extinguisher:
1) Pull out the pin located at the top of the extinguisher.
2) Standing about 6 feet back from the fire, point the extinguisher at the base of the fire and squeeze the lever. Direct the discharge at the base of the flames.
3) If the fire gets out of control, stop and evacuate the house immediately. See also: Snuffing Out a Small Fire.

Kitchen Grease Fire
* Never pour water on a kitchen grease fire. Instead, smother the flames by cutting off the source of oxygen. Place a lid over the pan and turn off the range.
* If necessary, use an A-B-C fire extinguisher, but be prepared for a mess.
* To put out an oven fire, shut the door and turn off the heat.
* If the fire gets out of control, stop and evacuate the house immediately.

Chimney Fire
* If your fireplace has glass doors, close them. Call 911 or the fire department immediately, and be ready to evacuate the house if necessary.

When a chimney fire occurs, creosote buildup on the interior walls of the chimney catches fire and flames shoot out of the chimney. Where mortar between bricks is missing, flames can shoot through the chimney walls and ignite combustibles in the attic.

During a chimney fire, flames may be rolling over your head in the attic, so call the fire department even if you think the fire has been snuffed out. It’s a good idea to keep a chimney fire extinguisher on hand. Available at fireplace dealers and some hardware stores, this device looks a bit like a road flare. Follow the label instructions.

Electrical Sparks or Smoking
Faulty electrical systems can quickly become house fires. At the first sign of a hot, burning, smoking, crackling, or buzzing electrical outlet, switch, or light fixture, quickly trip the breaker that governs that circuit. If you don’t know which breaker or fuse to turn off, shut off the main circuit breaker. Call 911 and report the problem.

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