Apartment Fire Safety

If you live in an apartment building, you need to be aware of your fire escape routes and what to do in case of a fire.

See below to learn more about fire prevention and safety tips for apartment dwellers:

What do I do if there is a fire in my apartment?

If you live in a building with fewer than three stories, talk to your superintendent/landlord and work out a personal fire safety plan. You must act quickly when you hear an alarm or discover a fire. You must always protect yourself from smoke. Most people die from smoke inhalation, not fire.

What should I do if I hear a fire alarm in my apartment building?

Tell everyone in your apartment to leave.
Close all doors behind you.
Pull the fire alarm on your floor and yell fire.
Leave the building using the nearest stairway.
Call the fire department when you are safe.
Meet the firefighters at the front entrance and tell them where the fire is.

The best thing to do in a fire is leave the building immediately. In some cases, you may not be able to leave and you may have to stay in your apartment. In either case, act quickly. No matter what your decision, protect yourself from smoke.

What should I do as I leave the building?

Check the door to your apartment. If smoke is entering around the door, do not open it. Protect yourself from smoke inside your apartment.
If there is no smoke, brace yourself and open the door a little.
If you see smoke or feel heat, close the door quickly and protect yourself.
If the corridor is clear, take your keys, lock your door, and go to the nearest stairway.
Do not use the elevator.
Open the nearest stairway door carefully.
If there is no smoke, use the stairway to leave the building.
If there is smoke, do not enter the stairway. Close the door. Go to another stairway and open the door carefully. If there is no smoke here, use this stairway to leave the building. If there is smoke, try other stairways. If no stairways are smoke-free, return to your apartment and protect yourself from smoke.

What should I do if I am inside a stairway?

If you find smoke on your way down the stairs, leave the stairway as soon as you can. Some doors leading from the stairway to the corridor may be locked, but at least every five floors, the door should not be locked so you can leave the stairway.
Use another stairway if it is clear of smoke.
If you cannot use any stairway, return to your apartment or go into a corridor and bang on apartment doors until you find a place to take shelter.
Never go to the roof. Smoke usually rises to the top of the stairway. Doors opening onto the roof are locked and you could get trapped.
Wherever you are, if there is smoke, crawl low under it. The air is cleaner near the floor.

What should I do if I must remain in my apartment?

Protect yourself from smoke. Stay in your apartment until you are rescued or until you are told to leave. This may take a long time. Do not try to leave your apartment a long time after the alarm has sounded since there is a chance that heavy smoke will have spread into stairways and corridors.

Keep smoke from entering your apartment. Use duct tape to seal cracks around the door and place wet towels at the bottom. Seal vents or air ducts the same way.

How can I protect myself from smoke?

If smoke enters your apartment:

Telephone the fire department. Tell them where you are and then move to the balcony. Close the doors behind you.
If you do not have a balcony, go to the most smoke-free room, close the door and seal it with tape and towels. Open the window for fresh air.
Show your rescuers where you are by hanging a sheet from the window or balcony.
Keep low to the floor where the air is cleaner.
Listen for instructions from authorities.

How can I find out more information about fire escape routes in my building?

To find out about fire safety in your building, ask your building management or the fire department.