Instinctively we realize that fire is dangerous and that we have to avoid it. We think smoke is less dangerous because we can walk through it when we flee a fire. But is that correct?
The smoke that is released during a fire is poisonous and therefore life-threatening. Not the fire, but the smoke also claims the most victims in domestic fires. The fire brigade sometimes saves people alive from a fire, but on their way to the hospital they die due to a smoke poisoning.
Why is smoke so dangerous?
- The hot air burns everything from the mouth to vocal cords
- The fine soot particles cause inflammation in the trachea and lungs
- The toxic gases (carbon monoxide and cyanide) switch off the oxygen supply to organs and flatten the metabolism
The requirement of everyone who is involved in fire safety therefore sounds unambiguous: Stay out of the smoke!
In order to survive your chance to survive a house fire, you can already take a number of precautions:
- Place smoke alarms
- Create an escape plan with multiple routes
Hopefully you will never need it, but it can save you and your loved ones in the event of a fire. So do not doubt, do it today!
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