To beg you all to have a fire evacuation plan

Your plan sounds just like ours MoreBeta! It was planned by DD at school years ago.

We also have smoke detectors wired into the burglar alarm so the internal sirens will sound. Some friends of ours had a fire when all in bed. The DH lay in bed half asleep thinking there was a car alarm going outside, only getting up a few minutes later when his throat was tickling so he needed a drink. They only just got out. It terrified me that the beeping might not be enough to wake us in time so we had them wired up to the alarm.

We do have a fire escape plan.

Every night we know exactly where keys for doors and windows are in our bedroom. Mobile phones are always with us. Kids and us all have torches under beds. Fire detectors in all corridors.

We have two escape routes out of the house plus a balcony. Final resort is bedroom with door shut and wet towels from ensuite. DSs know what to do in a fire.

One thing you need to drill into children: You cannot hide from fire! A lot of children I talk to say they would hide if there was a fire at their house.

What's wrong with having an escape ladder? Not got one, just wondering.

The fire brigade advice I read was to leave via usual exits and if they were blocked to get to a window, shout out of it and phone 999. Must get DDs to practice escape route and tell them about 'get out, stay out, get the fire brigade out'... though I think it will freak them out.

Our neighbours garage (attached to their house) caught fire this bank holiday Monday, so scary how quick it took hold and ok 3 fire engines worth of hoses and water to put it out.

I'm ex emergency service and my plan is what Skate said, all in one room with door shut and dial 999.

I faithys heat sensor in the kitchen melted off the ceiling :( the smoke alarm in the hallway woke them up.

Fire bridage told them microwaves are the most common cause of kitchen fires as everyone tends to leave them on for the timer.

Also, sorry about your friend's house OP. Very glad they were out of harm's way at the time.

I have been considering this especially now I'm due to have a baby any day. I don't actually think we could get out of any of our upstairs windows. We would need to break them. Would that be easy to do ? Also what would be the safest way to get a small baby out ? Assuming we can't get downstairs. I also have a dog who is too big to lift and would turn into a ball of teeth so he would probably die

You can get heat alarms for kitchens - they only go off if the temperature gets to a certain point i.e. if there are flames. Take a bit longer to go off, but at least there's something in the kitchen.

I read somewhere that most fires that cause deaths start in the living room. Presumably because most of the ones that start in kitchens are the result of cooking or similar, so you're more likely to be awake to spot it. But the ones that start in living rooms start when people are sleeping, so you don't get any warning until the alarms in your hallway go off, by which point the fire has taken hold and there's too much smoke.

We don't have an escape plan but keys are always in the same spot and all exit routes are the tidiest part of the house clear.

I'm getting a fire blanket for the kitchen next, then speaking to our landlord about upgrading the smoke alarms to better ones.

It was awful. The smoke damage was unbelievable :(

But they are back home now :)

put the fear of god in me colleysmill what a nightmare for them

Yes mummmy it was havealittlefaiths food processor that went up just before last Christmas.

i'm aware i'm totally bonkers orange, it's fine!

mummmsy. I did at your post. You set such a good example.

OP, so sorry to hear about your friend.

oh, that's really worrying about the ladders - it's like this one www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000H5S96A/ref=asc_df_B000H5S96A9462202?smid=ALF4HPK63BHUX&tag=hydra0b-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22218&creativeASIN=B000H5S96A&hvpos=1o2&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18266775421427079434&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=

is that bad? i imagine using it at the back in case someone (unlikely i know) poured petrol through our letterbox?

also, EVERYTHING is switched off at night - there was a poster on here recently whose kitchen (?) went on fire because of a blender - just plugged in...

very worrying, i've been like this since phil set fire to the vic in eastenders about 20years ago!

Like tanith i was told by the fire brigade that the ladders are not recommended. They told me to all get in one room upstairs and ring them and they would get there. I felt a bit happier after the fire brigade had been round.
Thanks op for raising this, i must drill the children what to do.

I have a plan, escape ladder and an extinguisher. My parents however, lock their windows and never know where the fucking keys are, it makes me so mad.

Would also advise people to check out their fire escape routes when in a hotel or B&B.
My family did it once at a travelodge,and because I touched the fire escape door or maybe accidentally opened it ,a member of staff came up to check that everything was ok

We got home from holiday at 2am earlier this week. I asked DH to unlock the windows and he gave a loud sigh but I was not BU. My fire escape plan is to get one children's room each and out of the windows....... Luckily just a 2 floor house though.

Yes. But also have smoke alarms in every room (except bathroom and kitchen).. Don't use candles, for Gods sake don't deep fry when drunk or smoke in bed.

When we were younger, my mum used to make me and my
Brother practise it, every Friday night. My dad would go out for fish and chips and we would get ready for bed and my mum would make us get in to bed, turn all the lights off and then shout "fire! Fire'" and we had to pretend it was the fire alarm. We had to practice crawling on the floor in to the spare bedroom and climbing out of the window that went down on to the porch roof, as it wasn't a big drop and we could access the neighbours house from there.

DP and I live in a bungalow with windows in every room, so we would be ok. The cat would probably run and hide, so would more than likely die, unless she was clever enough to follow us out. We could probably break the back door down to get the dog from the kitchen, but of the fire started in there, she would have no chance

Thanks.

This thread has made me think, will discuss with DH tonight.

( socks When I was at boarding school we used to sneak out our fire escape at night to meet boys )

We used to have one of those escape ladders, but the fire brigade don't recommend them. I think they consider them dangerous.
I'm paranoid about fire and we've been checked by the fire brigade for overnight minding. Their advice was never to leave anything plugged in overnight (apart from essentials like the fridge), shut all internal doors, and to have working fire alarms on both floors.