Do you know how easy it is to risk your life in a public place? Well, if you don’t think about what you will do in case of fire when you are in a public place, then it is very easy to risk your life.
The stories below provide perfect examples of how close you can come to being killed by third-degree burns or smoke inhalation in just a few minutes.
On July 11, at least two people were transported to local hospitals for smoke inhalation following a four-alarm fire that struck a Days Inn hotel just outside Baltimore, MD. According to a Baltimore County Fire Department spokesperson, the fire was initially reported at 8:14 p.m. But guests who had been staying at the hotel say that fire alarms had gone off as much as an hour earlier–many people did not know there was a true emergency until they encountered heavy smoke filling the hallways.
“We heard the fire alarm go off, then stop, and go off again,” said one guest who was checked into a third-floor room. “We called the front desk and they said it was nothing, just somebody playing with the fire alarm. Then the TV power went out and we started to smell smoke.” In fact, the smoke spread so quickly that “some people coming down the stairs from the upper floors had trouble breathing,” said the guest.
Another guest said that “I was on my way out of the room when the TV cut out. Then I noticed that the elevator wasn’t working. When I came out to the lobby, there was a lot of smoke.”
“The fire alarms went off, then it stopped,” said another guest. “About an hour later, that’s when we saw the smoke. And when I came out, I couldn’t see, there was so much smoke. I couldn’t even breathe.” The cause and extent of the fire were not yet known.
Also on July 11, three people received treatment for smoke inhalation while Milwaukee fire crews had to rescue two other people during a fire at a hotel in that city. The fire happened just before midnight at the American Inn. Witnesses say that at least two people jumped from an upper level. The fire came from a ground-level room of the extended stay motel. “I was sleeping, and someone started beating on my door,” said one guest on the second floor. “There was a lot of flames, a lot of smoke. We couldn’t see anything so I got the towel in my hand, gave it to my wife to put over her nose and mouth.” The Red Cross was helping people who the hotel was serving. Milwaukee Police say that electrical problems caused the fire.
Lastly, on July 8 in Dallas, a concert by popular singer Rihanna was cut short and the arena was evacuated after a fire broke out above the stage. Some witnesses say a light on the stage caught fire during her show. Dallas fire department officials said that calls came in saying the curtains and part of the stage decorations caught fire. But according to others who attended the concert, it appeared the fire started from pyrotechnics that were part of the show.
But here is the scary part: The arena did not call for an immediate evacuation, so some people rushed the exits and caused a dangerous backup.
Whenever you are in a hotel, an arena, or some other public place, please take just a moment to locate the fire exits. This way, if you see or smell smoke or fire, or hear an alarm, or if someone else yells ‘fire,’ you can get to an exit within seconds. It could be the difference between life and death. Here is an excellent guide for what to do to prepare for fire in a public place: The Seattle Fire Department Fire Prevention Division’s handbook.