Principles of escaping in a smoky fire

The recent fire incident at Zone 9 (Hanoi) resulting in 6 fatalities and numerous severe injuries has raised alarm bells about fire coping mechanisms. To prevent suffocation, individuals must lower themselves when moving, even crawl beneath the floor as smoke always rises high.

Lieutenant Colonel Huynh Quang Tam, Head of the Fire Department in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, stated that organizing evacuation skills play a crucial role in saving lives.

During fire outbreaks, everyone in the affected area moves simultaneously and lacks proper organization due to the influence of smoke, heat, and burning products.

At the time of a fire incident, people have very little time to react and think. Without evacuation skills, the extended time directly threatens lives. Therefore, maintaining calmness is crucial to handling situations. Upon receiving the alert, everyone should be prepared to urgently evacuate to facilitate firefighting efforts.

A critical escape principle during a fire is to crouch low when moving because smoke always rises high. Sometimes, individuals must crawl beneath the floor when smoke concentration is high to avoid suffocation.

To prevent smoke inhalation, individuals should cover their mouth and nose tightly with a damp cloth or consider using a smoke mask if available. When attempting to escape from a fire, besides using a damp cloth to cover the mouth and nose, one should immerse a wet blanket in water and wrap it around the entire body, then swiftly run out through the flames to avoid clothing catching fire and causing burns.

In reality, suffocation due to smoke is a leading cause of high and faster mortality than burns and fatalities from fire. Therefore, evacuating quickly from the smoke-affected area is crucial.

Additionally, it is important to note:

- While evacuating, inform those around and close doors along the escape route to limit the spread of fire and smoke.

- Do not use elevators as emergency exits because fire emergencies may affect elevator operation. Therefore, only use staircases to escape.

- It is possible to assist others in safely evacuating when oneself is healthy and alert. Avoid helping others evacuate when one's own life is threatened by smoke or fire.

- When living, working, or spending time in a building, pay attention to the escape routes and evacuation plans. This practice can be extremely helpful and save lives in the event of a fire or explosion.

- When safely evacuating, gather at a designated location and check the list to see if anyone is trapped in the fire, then take measures to safely rescue those trapped from the fire.

- During the evacuation process, follow the instructions of the commander or building evacuation guide.

- An important factor for human survival during a fire is to remain calm and act quickly in accordance with the correct evacuation methods and skills.

- If trapped in a fire, with smoke seeping in from doors and corridors, individuals should lie down on the floor away from the smoke, using a damp cloth to cover their faces, close all large doors and windows to isolate the fire. If smoke and fire are approaching, use fabric or clothing to block any gaps to prevent smoke and fire from entering the house quickly after using a fire extinguisher to try to control the fire.

- When escaping through a window or corridor, do everything possible to attract the attention of firefighters by waving or shouting.

- If it's safe to escape and there's a large door closed, before using that exit, check the door's temperature by placing your hand on it. Do not open if the door feels warm or hot. If the door is not affected by heat, open it slowly and press tightly against it. If there's fire and smoke on the other side, immediately close it while sealing any gaps to prevent smoke and fire from entering the room. If there's no fire and smoke advancing, quickly evacuate while closing the door behind but without locking it. Along the escape route, find every possible way to alert everyone to evacuate safely.

- When clothes catch fire, stop moving, cover your face if possible, lie down and roll over, repeating until the fire is extinguished. Do not run as the wind may fan the flames. Do not jump into pools, reservoirs, or water tanks as the water may boil when exposed to fire.

- If you see someone else on fire, help them stop, lie down, and roll back and forth. Use blankets, sheets, or clothing to smother the flames.

- When encountering someone suffocating, unconscious, or burned, administer initial first aid before taking the victim to the hospital for further treatment.

- Report fires promptly to the Fire Department at 114 for assistance in evacuation and rescue operations when someone is trapped in a fire.

Lieutenant Colonel Huynh Quang Tam observed that in reality, the majority of serious fire damage is due to inadequate evacuation conditions and lack of organized evacuation skills.

In the realm of fire prevention, firefighting, rescue, and evacuation, ensuring people's safety always takes precedence, based on two aspects: the safety conditions of evacuation routes and the organization of evacuation skills.

A safe evacuation route is a pathway free from smoke, dust, or fire products and not threatened by the dangerous effects of fire on human life. Evacuation routes must be easily identifiable, and pathways to exits must be clearly marked with directional signs. These can be exit doors, corridors leading to safe areas, or pathways leading to staircases, cross-passages to adjacent buildings, etc.

When constructing buildings, evacuation routes must adhere to regulations, standards, and norms. This category must be arranged in a distributed manner, ensuring an adequate total quantity and width for the evacuation of the maximum number of people in the building or area in case of emergencies.

Recently, fire incidents have occurred everywhere for various reasons, with the latest being the bar fire in Zone 9 (Hanoi), resulting in 6 fatalities and many severe injuries. Statistics for Ho Chi Minh City alone show that in 2012, there were 121 fire incidents resulting in 9 deaths and 12 injuries. In the first 6 months of 2013, the entire city had 336 fire incidents resulting in 5 deaths and 5 injuries.

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Source: Mytour Travel Guide – Via Vnexpress