House fires, how to survive them? Why do people die in them?

[Bumperslucious]

After a few national news stories about people, families dying in house fires, it has got me thinking. Why do people die in house fires?

I'm not being as dense as you think, what I am wondering is what is the reality of a house fire?

Obviously living in a flat with no fire escape is a huge risk. I live in a 1st floor flat and assume that I would chuck a mattress out of the window and we would bundle DD up in a duvet and lower her down. Is that unrealistic? Would I have been overcome by smoke by then? How much time does a smoke alarm by you? I think I have an unrealistic view of how quickly fire spreads.

What do other people think? I know we joke about zombie plans, but what are people's real plans? What are the behaviours that allow people to die in house fires? Why don't they get out sooner?

I wonder if there is any chance of having someone knowledgeable on here to talk about it in the way they do with schools.

Can we talk about it, even if it is just to get some people thinking a bit more about it?

Does anyone know if rented houses have to have fire extinguishers and fire blankets etc ? We had them at our old place, but have nothing here.

Don't quote me on this but I have a feeling that houses in multiple occupancy liek bedsits have to have thos ethings but not a normal family house that is rented out.

Thankyou ABD...ours is a flat in a big house, so not sure which bit applies. I'll look into getting some anyway. The agents might know. Landlord owes me £400 for the heating anyway, so no harm in having an excuse to harrass them

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Bump

most houses are only two storys (I grew up in a three story but thats rare) have to admit in a fire I would have no qualms about jumping out an upstairs window. Its not really that high in the general scheme of things.
I'm glad I don't live in a flat, the idea of being trapped does scare me.