DURING A FIRE Feel the door or doorknob before opening it. If it is hot, do not open it. If you open a door, open it slowly. Be ready to shut it quickly if heavy smoke or fire is present.
“If you ever open a door and see fire or smoke — immediately shut that door and try to shut all doors in your exit path as everyone inside leaves the building,” advised Wiseman. “Closing doors can delay the growth of a fire and the spread of toxic smoke.”
If the door is hot, do not open it. Find or create an alternative exit (windows). If no other exit is available and you only see smoke, open the door slowly, move to a crawling position, staying low, and quickly crawl to an exit. If the door is hot and fire is present, keep the door shut.
As previously mentioned, in order to work effectively, fire doors should always remain closed. If not, a fire will be able to spread quickly, and it will be harder to contain it. Despite this, sometimes people will wedge fire doors open for a whole host of reasons. Whatever the case, it should not be done.
Activate the first fire alarm you see and try to help others to evacuate the building. Close doors behind you to help prevent the fire from spreading. Follow the evacuation procedure if you're at your workplace or follow the escape route signs if you're a visitor. Listen to instructions given by the Fire Marshal.
Opening hot doors
Doors that are very hot to the touch or have smoke billowing through the cracks will more than likely have a fire on the other side. This means that the door is actually holding the fire back and opening it would only allow the fire to spread.
Fire doors are therefore normally required in all doorways leading to escape routes. They are also usually required for rooms that have a higher risk of a fire starting (for example, IT server rooms, boiler rooms or rooms containing flammable liquids). You should refer to your risk assessment for further guidance.
If someone else catches on fire, smother the flames by grabbing a blanket or rug and wrapping them up in it. If a fire extinguisher is available, use it to extinguish the flames. That could save them from serious burns or even death.
Research has proven that a closed bedroom door can help save your life by slowing the spread of flames – and prevent heat, smoke, and deadly gases from filling your room.
Fires of any kind are put out using one of three methods: cooling, starvation, or smothering. The fire triangle is a basic model for understanding the source and progression of any fire.
This Rule states that you use 1/3 of your air to enter the hazard area and do whatever task you planned to do, use 1/3 of your air to exit to a safe atmosphere, and 1/3 of your air for emergencies.
Electrical bedroom fires are often due to faulty or overtaxed wiring or malfunctioning lighting,6 but bedroom fires also start with cords, space heaters, or electric blankets. Bedding, carpeting, draperies, and other creature comforts of your bedroom are often the first items ignited in a fire.
Reach up as high as you can and touch the door, the knob and the space between the door and its frame with the back of your hand. If the door is warm, use an alternate escape route. If the door is completely cool, open it cautiously. Put your shoulder against the door and open it slowly.
Most fire deaths are not caused by burns, but by smoke inhalation. Often smoke incapacitates so quickly that people are overcome and can't make it to an otherwise accessible exit. The synthetic materials commonplace in today's homes produce especially dangerous substances.
The increased airflow can also attract smoke, and the room you're in can quickly fill with it. Even if the door to the room is closed, the new air path you created can suck smoke under and around the door and into the space. So, ideally, it's best to keep your windows shut until the fire department gets to your home.
Stop what you're doing. Drop to the ground and cover your face if you can. Roll over and over or back and forth until the flames go out. Running will only make the fire burn faster.
Fire doors, on the other hand, are internal doors specially designed, constructed and fitted to prevent the spread of smoke, heat and fire. Some fire doors may be positioned as access to and from a building – these doors, however, must remain closed and unobstructed from either side.
Closed doors can reduce fire growth, limit damage to your home, keep temperatures down, and can even save your life if you become trapped. TAKE IT DOWN A NOTCH - During a fire, a closed door can keep carbon monoxide levels at 1,000 PPM versus 10,000 PPM if the door is left open.
If the fire alarm starts sounding:
Feel the door or doorknob to the hallway with the back of your hand. If it feels hot, do not open it – the fire may be on the other side of the door. If the door is not hot, open it slowly. If the hallway is clear of smoke, walk to the nearest fire exit and exit the building.
First come, first serve is a general rule in door etiquette. If I arrive at the door first, I serve you by opening the door and holding it open. The exception to this is when the person approaching first needs physical assistance, in which case the person following holds the door.
Don't alter your fire door
Never carry out any repairs or work on your fire door. This can damage it and make it less likely to work properly in an emergency.
You will still be dead, but your body may end up fairly i… Since the fire would boil the water in the pipes before it got to you it would be an interesting way to die. The most likely way to die is due to asphyxiation due to lack of oxygen.
If you have a fire extinguisher at hand, use it. If not, get the victim on the floor and roll him back and forth to put out the fire. Use a coat or rug to cover and smother the fire.