Surviving a fire in an apartment building
Did you see this news from Los Angeles? A month ago, a fire broke out on the 11th floor of a 25-story apartment building. The flames were visible through the apartment’s broken window; smoke rose and rose. In the end, hundreds of people were evacuated and there were several injured.
Happily, however, the fire was contained in one floor. Most of the people were able to return to the apartments that were not damaged. What went well?
The fire hazard in a skyscraper is LESS than in other structures.
According to the National Fire Protection Agency, only 3% of structural fires occur in high-rise buildings. (Their definition of a skyscraper is 7 stories or higher. Other agencies define it differently. For this article, I am defining skyscrapers as anything that is above the reach of the highest ladder of the local fire department.)
When a skyscraper fire occurs, statistically there is less damage.
This is because hotels and apartment buildings, where about half of skyscraper fires occur, are much more likely to have:
- Fire resistant construction. For example, exterior walls, floors and steel roof lined with concrete, cement, and steel with spray coatings can withstand fire for hours. Fire doors, intended to close off an area to restrict the spread of a fire and allow a safe exit, are rated for their strength.
- Fire protection systems. Depending on the size of the building, you can count on fire alarms, automatic sprinklers, surveillance cameras, controlled access, and even constant monitoring.
Given this background, What emergency preparedness actions should you take if you are considering a high-rise apartment?
If you live in an apartment, in any apartment, the first questions are for you: Do you have working smoke detectors and do you test them regularly? Do you have fire extinguishers, especially in the kitchen? Kitchen-related incidents are the cause of most home fires.
Now, find answers to these questions about the building:
- What fire safety systems does the building have? In the Los Angeles fire, the building had been built before fire sprinkler systems were required.
- Do the maps show the exit stairs? In an emergency, the fire department will take care of the elevators, so don’t plan on going out that way.
- Take a tour. Are emergency exits open? Are the fire doors clear or are they kept closed?
- Does the administration have a fire evacuation plan? Are fire drills conducted?
- Will you recognize the sound of a fire alarm? Is there a public announcement system?
If a fire breaks out, do you know what to do?
These recommendations come from the US Fire Administration In Los Angeles, people who followed these rules performed better than those who didn’t.
- Call to the firefighters. Don’t assume someone else has called.
- When you hear an alarm, touch the exit door with the back of your hand.
- Yes, is cool, open the door carefully to check for smoke or flames. If there are none, go to the nearest exit.
- If you find smoke, go back. In Los Angeles, all civilian injuries were smoke-related.
- If the door is hot or you see smoke, don’t go out! Stay in your apartment. Fill in the cracks around the door with dowels or bedding. Turn off the air conditioning. The point is to keep smoke out.
- Call the fire department to let them know where you are. Signal from a window; don’t leave it open.
- Listen to the instructions of the fire department.
- Be patient. It may take hours for a skyscraper to fully evacuate.
Almost 40% of Americans live in rented properties and most of them in apartments. Who do you know who lives in a multi-family building or high-rise apartment? Share this information! Being prepared and knowing how to respond will save their lives in an emergency.
