House fire — how to escape through heavy smoke
Small fire, act fast; heavy smoke, shut the door; stay low, never take the elevator
01 What to do now
- 01
If you spot flames or heavy smoke, immediately shout to alert everyone in the household
- 02
Put out a small fire quickly or evacuate; if smoke has already spread, close the door behind you to block it before finding another exit
- 03
If you must move through smoke, crawl low — the air below 30cm from the floor is clearer
- 04
Feel the door handle first — if it's hot, there's fire on the other side, so find another escape route
- 05
Follow the evacuation signage to the emergency stairs — never use the elevator
- 06
Once you reach safety, call your local emergency number immediately
02 Common myths
Running upright through heavy smoke: the smoke concentration and toxicity you breathe while standing are far higher than at a low crawl
Taking the elevator to escape: during a fire, elevators can malfunction or take you straight to the floor that's burning
Opening a door to check the fire's extent: feel the handle first — if it's hot, don't open it