Today I will talk about what to do in case of fire. Due to the recent tragic events, the sound of fire now makes the chest tremble with fear and panic. The Nimtali tragedy, the Chawkbazar fire and most recently this horrific incident in Banani seem to have burned all the people of Bangladesh.
While those who are directly affected by these incidents carry these wounds every moment of every day, those of us who have somehow survived by the force of fate are no less scarred. No human being will be able to accept the departure of so many innocent souls together. Many of us don't know exactly what to do when a fire breaks out. Again, many people know what to do in case of fire, but they can't make the right decision due to panic or fear. In the event of a sudden fire, we may be able to survive or reduce the damage. And so today I'm going to share with you some of the things that can be done if there is a fire that can be avoided by keeping a cool head.
Types of fire and ways of extinguishing
Pouring water to put out the fire -
If you want to put out the fire, you need to know the type of fire first. Because you can't put out the gas fire with water. The origin of fire, the elements of fire… there are generally 4 types of fire based on these-
Solid fire
Liquid fire (fire of oil, petrol, diesel etc.)
Gas fire (fire of gas line, gas stove etc.)
Metal fire (fire of sodium, potassium etc.)
Understanding the type of fire and taking measures to extinguish it is the fire fighting system. If there is a sudden fire somewhere, you have to inform the fire service first. Then move to a safe place and try to extinguish the fire by understanding the type of fire before the fire service arrives.
1. Solid fire extinguishing
Such fires can be controlled by sprinkling sufficient amount of water.
2. Extinguishing liquid fire
Such fire cannot be extinguished by water. Instead, the fire spreads faster when water is used. So in such fires carbon-di-oxide gas, foam, dry powder… these are more effective. However, if you have none of these, you can control such fires by sprinkling sand on your hands.
3. Gas fire extinguisher
Water is absolutely useless in such fires. The fire has to be extinguished with the help of carbon dioxide gas, foam, dry powder etc.
4. Metal fire extinguishing
Metal fire cannot be extinguished with water. The above methods can be used to extinguish such fires through carbon dioxide gas, dry powder, foam, sand etc. However, if you have a blanket, leather sack, heavy kantha or mattress at hand, you can control the fire with some pressure. And try to soak them before putting them on fire. Then it will work faster.
What to do if there is a fire
Now let's come to our home, office or outside where there is a sudden fire, what are our tasks as a conscious person.
1) Keep your head cool and first try to turn off the electricity switch and gas stove.
2) Contact the nearest fire service office. Note that in this case, always keep the emergency phone numbers such as the nearest police office, fire service, hospital on your phone or at hand - so that you can ask for help in case of emergency. Or you can call 999 for help.
3) If there is a fire in the house, try to extinguish it by understanding the type of fire. In case of fire from gas stove or short circuit, cover with wet kantha, blanket or sack etc.
4) Find a fire extinguisher somewhere outside and use it at the source of the fire.
Fire Extinguisher to put out the fire -
5) If it is not possible to control the fire, move quickly to a safe place and help others to come out.
6) Home, office, market or any place can not be used to forget the elevator.
7) If it is covered in smoke before coming out, cover your nose with a handkerchief or any other cloth and if possible, soak the cloth in water. More people die from the fire than from the fire. Cover the nose and mouth well with a damp cloth so that hot air and smoke from outside cannot easily enter the lungs. This greatly reduces your chances of getting infected.
Wet clothes wrapped around the body to survive the fire -
8) If your body is on fire, don't forget to run. This will increase the fire due to more oxygen. Try to put out the fire by sitting and rolling on the ground or holding it with a wet blanket or kantha.
What to do if your clothes catch fire -
9) If a person is burnt in a fire, he should be laid down in such a way that his burnt part is open and the cloth should be removed from the burnt part very carefully. If the cloth gets stuck in the burnt part, other clothes of the body should be cut without pulling it. Then cold water or ice water (if not such water) should be poured on the burn, until taken to the doctor or hospital. The wound should not be touched or rubbed in any way.
10) Due to the characteristic fire rises upwards. Therefore, if a fire breaks out on the lower floor of a multi-storey building, the fire spreads upwards through the space of the stairs. In such cases, be careful when going down. If you can't go down, you can go up to the open roof of the building. This will reduce the risk and will be easier to rescue.
Panic, fear, restlessness in any bad situation - these are the reasons for more damage. Therefore, in order to reduce the risk / damage in case of fire, the first and most effective thing to do is to keep a cool head, understand the situation, make the right decision and act accordingly. A normal and safe life is desirable for all of us. Stay well, stay safe. Be aware of your place to avoid such unwanted incidents.
