How to Safely Escape a House Fire or Wildfire

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Key steps to evacuating safely if there's a fire

Co-authored by David Decker and Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: February 14, 2024 Fact Checked

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Escaping a Structure Fire

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Escaping from a Wildfire

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Fire Safety & Prevention Tips

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Expert Interview

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Expert Q&A

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Tips

Being prepared and having a plan in mind are the simplest ways to stay safe in the event of a fire emergency. To prepare for a house or building fire, it’s essential to know the layout of the space, the exit locations, and the safest way to make your escape. To escape a wildfire, travel downhill and upwind. In this guide, we’ll walk you through every step and precaution you need to know about for all types of fire emergencies.

Things You Should Know

Escape a structure fire by going to the closest exit. Feel doors with the back of your hands to see if they’re cool enough to open, and stay low to the ground to avoid smoke inhalation.
In a forest fire, move downhill and upwind from the blaze and look for an area with a natural firebreak or trench.
Call 911 or emergency services as soon as you’re safe so firefighters can be dispatched to your location.

Section 1 of 3:

Escaping a Structure Fire

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If you’re at home, an exit could be a door, window, or even a fire escape ladder.^{[1]
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Research source} If you’re in a public building, locate the nearest emergency exit, designated with an EXIT sign, a picture of a running man in a doorway, or both. If smoke is present, stay low. If you are unable to escape, proceed back into your room.^{[2]
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National Fire Protection Association
Nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards.

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Check the door for any signs of fire on the other side. First, feel the door and doorknob with the back of your hand. If it feels warm or hot, don't open it. Then, check around the door for signs of smoke or heat. If you see glowing embers or black smoke through the door, you also should not open it.^{[3]
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- Use an alternate escape method to leave the building, but don’t use an elevator—these are unreliable and can malfunction during a fire, leaving you trapped.
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Only open it far enough that you can see what is on the other side of the door. If you observe heavy smoke or flame, close the door and remain where you are.
This will help reduce the spread of fire to your room if the fire manages to reach there, as well as ensure that any fire that might be in your room does not escape and create a dangerous situation for evacuees. Doors do an effective job at stopping fire, which is why the NFPA and numerous fire departments recommend closing your bedroom door before you go to sleep.^{[4]
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Your meeting point is either outside, on the ground floor, on a sky lobby floor, or in some other location that is easy to reach during an emergency. If you are unable to reach your main meeting point, then proceed to an alternate meeting point.^{[5]
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Do not use the elevator. Elevators can easily malfunction in a fire, and you could get trapped if you decide to use it as your escape. Use the stairs to make your escape if you’re on the higher floor of the building, or wait for firefighters to assist you.^{[6]
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- Firefighters can operate the elevators manually with a special key.
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Secure yourself and get a firefighter’s attention if you can’t escape. Seal the doors and any window vents with wet towels or sheets if you’re unable to evacuate or are ordered to stay in place. Then, focus on getting the attention of firefighters by opening a window and waving something colorful or bright.^{[7]
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- This might be the best option if you’re on the higher floor of a building.
- Climb from a window, patio, or balcony only if it is safe to do so.
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Report the emergency once you’re in a safe location. If you live in the United States, call 911 to be connected with emergency services, who can dispatch the fire department to your location. Speak as calmly and clearly as you can as you describe exactly where the fire is happening. Follow the dispatcher’s instructions if they provide any.^{[8]
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- Click here for a list of international numbers to dial during a fire emergency.

Section 2 of 3:

Escaping from a Wildfire

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Move downhill and upwind. Hot masses of air that rise cause wildfires to travel uphill, and walking uphill will slow you down anyway. Move in the direction the wind is coming from, and locate this direction by looking to see where smoke is blowing.^{[9]
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- Try to look high in the sky for the direction of the smoke’s travel.
- Look for the direction in which leaves and branches are swaying.
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Search for an area without combustible material. Once you’ve set your direction for downhill and upwind travel, look for a natural firebreak. (A firebreak is an area that has comparatively less material for the fire to consume, like a rocky area or field of boulders, road, body of water, or patch of large trees that might retain more moisture than other nearby foliage.)^{[10]
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- Steer clear of open areas with small, dry shrubs or bushes.
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Find or dig a trench if escape is not possible. If you cannot escape to a safer location, look for a trench or gully to help you survive the wildfire. If you find such an enclosure, try to quickly dig it out to create a space deep enough for you to fit your body. Crawl in, preferably with your feet facing the direction of the fire, and cover yourself with dirt. Make sure you can breathe as you take cover.^{[11]
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- If a wildfire is within close range, surrounding you, or otherwise blocking all means of downhill and upwind escape (and if no safe locations are available), you might have to resort to running through the fire’s leading edge into an area that’s already burned.
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Call emergency services as soon as you’re in a safe location. Give the dispatcher your name and contact information, and describe where the fire is (and where it’s headed). Provide as much information as you can, including the smoke’s color, the terrain the fire is covering, if it’s near a fuel source, and so on.^{[12]
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- Never assume that the fire is already reported. It’s better to be on the safe side!
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Practice safe hiking and camping practices. Prevent getting stuck in a wildfire before hiking or camping by assessing risks like weather conditions, extreme drought, any buildup of dry materials in your hiking or camping area, and the wind’s direction. Check with local park rangers if there is any threat of wildfire in your area.^{[13]
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- Don’t build a campfire in dry conditions, especially if your park ranger lets you know there’s a local burn ban.
- If it’s safe to build a campfire, keep it small, contained, and away from trees or shrubs. Never leave it unattended.
- Make sure your campfire is completely extinguished before you leave by pouring a lot of water over it, stirring the ashes, pouring more water, making sure there’s no hissing sound, and making sure it’s cool to the touch.
Grab bare essentials as quickly as possible and leave immediately if you’re under a wildfire evacuation order. If you live in an area threatened by wildfires, contact your local fire department’s non-emergency line or search the internet to find out about any available email or text message alert systems.^{[14]
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Section 3 of 3:

Fire Safety & Prevention Tips

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Establish a fire escape plan for future home emergencies. Highlight the different exit points around your home, and make sure that everyone in your household can list at least 2 possible escape routes in the event of a fire. At least twice a year, practice “escaping” from your home and meeting at an established place out front.^{[15]
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- Make sure that younger household members know what a smoke alarm sounds like.
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Install and regularly inspect your smoke alarms. Make sure that your home has smoke alarms installed around your home—a good rule of thumb is to have at least one on each floor as well as in each bedroom/sleeping space.^{[16]
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- Carbon monoxide detectors can also be a life-saving addition to your home, as carbon monoxide is a lethal gas (produced by fire) that doesn’t have a distinct scent.
In much of North America and East Asia, smoke and fire alarms will perform three blasts, whoops, chimes, or beeps, followed by a brief pause, and then repeat.^{[18]
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If you’re at home, make sure that you have properly functioning smoke detectors and that you develop life-saving habits like being alert and focused while using the stove or disconnecting appliances with heating elements that could start a fire.^{[19]
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Research source} If you’re at work or school, make sure that your building is up to the fire code. If you suspect violations in your workplace or your apartment, contact your city's fire inspector.
Fire drills are practiced at workplaces, schools, and universities, multiple times a year, to ensure that everyone knows what to do in the event of an emergency. In numerous states, public and private schools are required to conduct monthly fire drills, and other structures are required to conduct quarterly fire drills. These can save lives.^{[20]
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Don’t run if your clothes catch on fire. Instead, stop what you’re doing, drop to the ground, and roll.^{[21]
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Expert Q&A

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Question

How many smoke detectors and where should I install them in our home?

David Decker
Firefighting Expert
David Decker is a Firefighting Expert based in Newark, Ohio. Assistant Chief Decker was a career firefighter for 32+ years at Newark Fire Department and served as an Assistant Chief for 14 years. As Assistant Chief, he was in charge of department operations and training. He is now the owner of Command Vision, a fire training company focusing on incident command. He also has a YouTube channel where he uploads dash-cam videos captured at fire scenes that serve as training material for fire officers who want to expand their knowledge. The channel features over 40 structure fire videos and has garnered 55k followers and more than 15 million views.

David Decker

Firefighting Expert

Expert Answer

You can install one smoke detector in each bedroom and one on each floor, such as in the hallways of the first and second floors. This ensures early notification in case of a fire, providing ample time to evacuate safely.

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What happens if there is no window to get out of?

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If you are stuck in a room with no window and no other available exits, call emergency services. Give them your exact location. If you don't have a phone handy, yell for help as loudly as possible. Firefighters and other emergency personnel will arrive soon, so do your best to be loud and let them know you're still in the building.

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Should I shut a door when exiting a house that's on fire?

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Yes, shutting the door slows the spread of the fire by creating another barriers/object the fire has to get through.

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Tips

Keep your keys and/or ID badges with you. These may be used to ensure that everyone is accounted for during an evacuation. This will also allow you to reenter the structure after the all-clear is given.^{[23]
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One of the biggest hazards during a fire is the risk of smoke inhalation.^{[24]
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Always call emergency services at the earliest available opportunity. Don’t assume someone else has called emergency services in the event of a fire at a public location or outdoors.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

As difficult as it may be, don't go back in the house to get your children or pets. Let the firemen handle the rescuing, as they have the equipment and expertise for it.
If you don't have wet clothes or other shirts, use wet blankets instead. Wet the blanket with water, and then put it under the locked door.
If you're in a smoke-filled room, pull your shirt over your mouth and nose. It won't filter all the smoke out, but it still helps.

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