Did you know?
- Most fire fatalities and injuries in the United States occur in the victim’s home.
- Two-thirds of residential fire victims die of smoke inhalation, poisonous gases, or lack of oxygen, not severe burns.
- Cooking is the leading cause of all residential fires and fire injuries.
- Heating equipment is the second leading cause of residential fires.
- More than 40 percent of fatal home cooking fires occur while the victims sleep.
- Careless use of smoking materials is the leading cause of fatal residential fires.
Fire Survival Tips
Make sure your family has an escape plan. For more information on developing a plan, contact the Fire Prevention and Education Office at 217-384-2445.
Sleep with the bedroom door closed. Closed doors protect against heat and smoke.
Teach everyone in your household to recognize the sound of your smoke alarm.
Test doors before opening them. You can easily be overcome by heat, smoke, or flames when you open the door to an area where a fire has spread.
Use windows as alternate exits.
Crawl low under smoke. Super-heated air and toxic gases fill the room from the top down during a fire. A "safety zone" of breathable air is about 12 to 24 inches above the floor.
Call 911. Unless you are trapped inside, do not call from a burning home. Once you have escaped and reported to your meeting place, call 911 from a neighbor’s telephone.
If your clothes catch on fire, Stop, Drop, and Roll!
For more information about fire safety, please call the Fire Prevention and Education Office at 217-384-2445 or email mcphillips [at] urbanaillinois.us (mcphillips[at]urbanaillinois[dot]us).