House fire: the plan, the alarms, the escape ladder

Safe and sound

Plan your home fire escape

Alarms that wake everyone and two ways out of every room, practiced until the whole family knows them.

Time60 min

LevelEasy

Steps6

Official sources3

Why it matters

A house fire can make a home deadly in a few minutes. Alarms that wake everyone and a plan you have walked through are what get a family out.

What you need

Gather these before you start.

Smoke alarms: 1 inside each bedroom, 1 outside each sleeping area, 1 on every level
Escape ladder: 1 for each upstairs bedroom without a safe way down
Paper for a floor plan: 1 sheet
Pencil
Step ladder for fitting alarms

Step by step

Fire escape plan checklist diagram showing smoke alarms on every floor, two ways out of each room, a ladder upstairs, a meeting spot and two drills a year

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Fit the alarms

Put a smoke alarm inside every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every floor, including the basement. Linked alarms, where one sets off all, are best.

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Draw the floor plan

Sketch each floor and mark two ways out of every room, usually a door and a window. Check that every window opens and that security bars have a quick-release.

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Plan for upstairs

For bedrooms above the ground floor, keep an escape ladder near the window. Practice unfolding it on the ground first.

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Choose a meeting spot

Pick a fixed point in front of the house, such as a tree or a lamp post. Everyone goes there and stays there.

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Agree the rules

Get out fast, close doors behind you to slow the fire, and call emergency services from outside. Once out, nobody goes back in.

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Practice twice a year

Run the drill by day and by night, with each person using a second exit at least once. Give an adult the job of helping each child, older person or anyone who needs help.

The numbers

What	How many
Ways out of every room	2
Smoke alarms per bedroom	1 inside
Smoke alarms per level	1, basement included
Escape drills	2 a year, by day and by night
Alarm test	Every month
Replace an alarm	At 10 years old

US Fire Administration, Home fire escape plans

Stay safe

Get out and stay out. Never go back inside a burning building.
If smoke blocks your exit, close the door, put towels at the gap, open the window and call for help.
If your clothes catch fire: stop, drop and roll.

When you're done

Result	Working alarms, two marked ways out of every room, a meeting point and a family that has practiced.
Keep it ready	Test alarms every month. Replace any alarm that is 10 years old or as the maker says.

Questions people ask

How do you make a fire escape plan for your home?

Draw each floor and mark two ways out of every room, usually a door and a window. Pick one meeting spot in front of the house, then walk the plan with everyone twice a year.

How many smoke alarms do I need in my house?

One inside each bedroom, one outside each sleeping area and one on every level, basement included. Linked alarms are best because one sets off all of them.

How do you make a fire escape plan for kids?

Give one adult the job of getting each child out, and run the drill at night as well as by day. Every child uses the second exit at least once during practice.