Preventive measures before a fire
Regulate the use of electric bicycles: Do not purchase or use illegally modified electric bicycles and batteries that do not meet national standards, do not park or charge electric bicycles in public areas within the building, and avoid fires caused by electric bicycle failures.
Keep fire passages unobstructed: Do not pile up debris in public areas such as patios, stairwells, and evacuation corridors, and ensure that fire-fighting facilities are intact and effective so that they can be used normally in the event of a fire.
Improve fire safety awareness: Understand the location of fire-fighting facilities and evacuation passages in high-rise buildings, be familiar with fire alarm procedures and evacuation methods, and regularly participate in fire training and drills organized by the community or unit.
Countermeasures when a fire occurs
Calm judgment: Once a fire is discovered, you must quickly remain calm, judge the size of the fire, the direction of spread, and the distance between your location and the safe exit, etc., to avoid blind escape1.
Timely alarm: Immediately call the local fire phone 119, clearly and accurately inform the location of the fire, the fire situation, the situation of trapped people, etc., so that the fire department can quickly take rescue actions2.
Notify others: Under the premise of ensuring your own safety, notify residents on the same floor and nearby floors as much as possible, remind them to pay attention to the fire and escape as soon as possible.
Find a safe exit: According to the layout and signs of the building, quickly find the nearest safe exit, usually the stairwell. Be careful not to take the elevator, because the elevator may malfunction due to the fire and be trapped12.
Precautions during escape
Cover your mouth and nose with a wet towel: The smoke produced by the fire contains a large amount of harmful substances. Covering your mouth and nose with a wet towel can filter out some toxic gases, reduce the inhalation of harmful substances, and prevent suffocation12.
Move forward in a low posture: Smoke generally drifts upwards, and the air close to the ground is relatively fresh, so you should try to bend down and move forward in a low posture, and escape along the edge of the wall, so that it is easy to identify the direction and avoid being choked by smoke14.
Avoid crowding: During the escape process, do not crowd or push, maintain order, and avoid increasing the difficulty of escape due to falling or blocking the passage.
Close the door casually: If you pass through a normally closed fire door, you should close the door casually to prevent the spread of smoke.
Stay away from the source of fire: Try to stay away from flames and high-temperature areas to avoid burns.
Self-rescue methods after a fire
Find a refuge: If you cannot escape from the fire scene, you should quickly find a refuge, such as a relatively safe place such as a room or balcony. After entering the shelter, close the door immediately and block the door gap with wet cloth, towels, clothes, etc. to prevent smoke from entering12.
Waiting for rescue: While waiting for rescue in the shelter, you can send out a distress signal to the outside world through the window, such as shining a flashlight, waving bright clothes, etc., to let the rescuers know your location, but do not shout for help loudly to avoid inhaling harmful substances2.
Protect yourself: Cover your body with quilts, blankets and other items to avoid being burned by flames or high temperature. At the same time, stay calm, avoid excessive tension and anxiety, and save physical strength.
In short, when a high-rise fire occurs, it is crucial to stay calm and master the correct escape methods and techniques. I hope everyone can learn lessons from the Nanjing “2・23” fire accident, improve fire safety awareness, and prevent it before it happens.