03-24-2012, 12:06 PM
I'm just gonna leave this here. It's a collection of test videos showing how quickly fire spreads. The first segment may put you off Xmas trees forever.
As part of my job I have to take fire safety courses annually, and one of the things they impress on us all the time is that there is no time for heroics, last minute efforts to save belongings or quick dash-and-grab rescues. Some facts:
-Fire doubles in size every thirty seconds on average, depending on conditions of the room. Average time of total engulf: 2 to 5 minutes.
-average time for room to be filled to the floor with toxic black smoke, average home: 2 minutes.
-average temperature of same room at 2 minutes: 1200 degrees.
average annual deaths from fire (usa), civilian:2600. Average number of injuries: 13,500. That's actually down from what it [url=http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=953&itemID=23071&URL=Research%20&%20Reports/Fire%20statistics/The%20U.S.%20fire%20problem&cookie_test=1]used to be[/url]
Basically, if you wait till a fire occurs to have a plan of escape, you're fucked, and so is your family. smoke inhalation will kill you in seconds, even if the first lungful of superheated air doesn't sear your lungs. That's why stories of guys like that SEAL who died trying to go in after his kids, or the mom who couldn't get back in the window, usually end one way.
I used to think I was pretty prepared for a fire. Now I'm paranoid as hell.
What they teach us as first-responders is a two-step process:
1) get everybody the fuck out, FAST. Get fire crews onscene ASAP.
2)did I stutter?
As part of my job I have to take fire safety courses annually, and one of the things they impress on us all the time is that there is no time for heroics, last minute efforts to save belongings or quick dash-and-grab rescues. Some facts:
-Fire doubles in size every thirty seconds on average, depending on conditions of the room. Average time of total engulf: 2 to 5 minutes.
-average time for room to be filled to the floor with toxic black smoke, average home: 2 minutes.
-average temperature of same room at 2 minutes: 1200 degrees.
average annual deaths from fire (usa), civilian:2600. Average number of injuries: 13,500. That's actually down from what it [url=http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=953&itemID=23071&URL=Research%20&%20Reports/Fire%20statistics/The%20U.S.%20fire%20problem&cookie_test=1]used to be[/url]
Basically, if you wait till a fire occurs to have a plan of escape, you're fucked, and so is your family. smoke inhalation will kill you in seconds, even if the first lungful of superheated air doesn't sear your lungs. That's why stories of guys like that SEAL who died trying to go in after his kids, or the mom who couldn't get back in the window, usually end one way.
I used to think I was pretty prepared for a fire. Now I'm paranoid as hell.
What they teach us as first-responders is a two-step process:
1) get everybody the fuck out, FAST. Get fire crews onscene ASAP.
2)did I stutter?