“Fire Destruction is One Man’s job,
Fire Prevention is Everybody’s job.”

We don’t think of fire in our daily lives a lot. When we see or start a fire it’s usually on candles, kitchen stoves and sometimes (for the lucky ones) in nice and cozy fireplaces. We don’t think of fire as a threat, because the one we normally see is contained and beautiful.

But what about the accidental fire? The one that is not contained and slips out of control? We don’t take it much under consideration. And that’s where we make a mistake. 
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that there were 499,000 structure fires in 2017, and this is in US alone. It’s difficult to gather data on the numbers worldwide, but if you’re interested in more detailed statistics, you can refer to this report.

Just to give you some wider perspective. “In 2017, on average, a fire department responded to a fire every 24 seconds in the United States (…). A structure fire occurred every 63 seconds, a home fire (…) every 88 seconds, and an outside property fire (…) every 51 seconds. Fires occurred in highway-type vehicles every 3 minutes and 8 seconds”

Many of the fire accidents are happening of natural causes. The climate changes rapidly, which causes a lot of wildfires around the globe and this is something that needs to be handled by well-prepared services of highly skilled and trained people. But no one is able respond to the fire situations in our houses or neighborhoods as fast as we can.

Few points to remember about fire prevention. These are the things that could one day save your life, health or property.

1.    1. Buy the Powder Fire Extinguisher and keep it handy a home

2.    2. Fire extinguishers to buy: 4-6 kg at home, 2 kg in the car. They should always be ABC type, so you can stop the fire of flammable solids, liquids, gases and the energized electrical equipment.

3.    3. NEVER pour water on grease fire. When you do that, this happens:

Cover it with a lid or a big thick fabric to cut off the Oxygen supply and then call the firefighters. 

4.    4. Always use the fire extinguisher – even from the distance, even when the fire is big. The powder from fire extinguisher will contain the fire in one place and will not allow it to spread. Remember to remove the cotter pin before using it. If it won’t go, turn it around to cut off the plastic it’s contained with.

5.    5. Fire goes wild in a regular size room in less than a minute. As soon as you see or feel the fire – run for your life and grab your fire extinguisher to save what you can.

6.    6. You will always escape from fire – your body is designed to avoid the heat at all costs (including your own death). You will most likely disregard the smoke, which is deadly to you. As soon as the fire starts always use a piece of fabric to cover your face. Better wet than dry, but both will do well.

A Firefighter’s tip: when you don’t have many clothes on you, take off your shoe and use your sock to cover your mouth and nose, then put the shoe back on your foot. The smell might not be pleasant, but it will prevent you from fainting and dying surrounded by smoke.

And, last but not least – always remember, who saves the day when the fire spreads around you. The firefighters put their own lives at risks to save the ones in need. You can consider finding the firefighters foundations in your location and donating some money or time to their cause. I’ve already found mine: http://www.fundacjapsp.pl/

Here's also a cool video showing how to escape the burning house. Hope it will never be useful to you, but as the wise man said: better safe than sorry.

Stay safe!