What to do if you are trapped by a fire at home?

You’ve discovered a fire at home and rang the emergency services but you are trapped and can't get out. Here's what you do

• Get everyone together ideally in a room at the front of the house as this will be quicker for the fire service to access.
• People can freeze up and children can hide in the panic, so if it is safe, call out to them or lead them into the safest room with you.
• Close the door and put clothes or sheets along the bottom of the door to stop smoke getting in.
• Your bedroom door will keep smoke and flames back for a little while. Fire doors will protect you for even longer. Giving the fire service time to rescue you.
• Turn the lights on in the room, you will be seen much easier from the outside and you can see what you are doing.
• Open the windows and shout fire! fire! your shout for help will be heard better, you will be letting the smoke out of the room and letting in breathable air.
• Stay in this room until the fire service arrives, unless the conditions in the room are so bad that you have to leave as a last resort.

If you have to get out using the window

• Don’t try to push a mattress out of the window, it will get stuck and you will not be able to get out. It will also make it much harder for the fire service to get in and rescue you.
• If the surface below your window is hard, you could throw some bedding to soften your landing
• Don’t jump, lower yourself to arm's length from the window sill and drop.
• Always lower any children out of the window first. Children do not follow and if you go first as an adult they could be left behind and trapped.
• Remember to grasp children around the wrist, so that when you let go they have no option but to fall. Don't hold the child’s hand as this allows them to hang on to you.
• If you have a baby or a toddler/small child in the room, put them inside a quilt cover and lower them at arm's length towards the ground.