Avoid Errors or Fatalities with Your Home Fire Escape Plan by Practicing

Home fires claim nearly 2,700 lives and injure over 11,000 people annually in the U.S., and in just minutes a blaze can fill a home with deadly smoke. With so little time to think, a clear, practiced fire escape plan is your family’s best defense. In this article, you’ll learn how to map two exits from every room, install and maintain smoke alarms and extinguishers, equip everyone with essential PPE, and designate an outdoor meeting spot. We’ll also cover hands-on tips for running realistic drills so that when the alarm sounds, every household member knows exactly what to do—and where to go—without hesitation.