In honor of National Fire Prevention Week, read below for a glimpse into Rebecca C. Jones’s new book middle grade book The School’s on Fire, which School Library Journal calls “[A] moving narrative of one of the most devastating school fires in U.S. history.” 

WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF FIRE

Fires aren’t usually as big as the one at Our Lady of the Angels. But a smaller fire can be just as deadly to the person who’s caught in it.

House fires are especially dangerous. According to the National Fire Protection Association, almost 80 perfect of fire deaths occur in homes. About 2,560 Americans—including about 345 under the age of 15—are killed in house fires every year. Planning what to do ahead of time can save your life.

To be safe, fire-safety experts recommend that you follow a few simple steps:

• Check smoke alarms. Mark sure they work. Batteries should be checked monthly and changed once a year, or when a chirping alarm indicates a low battery. (A good time to change batteries is when your family sets back the time on clocks.) Place a smoke alarm on every floor, new stairwells, and near bedrooms.
• Develop an escape plan. Pick a meeting place outside the house where people can check on each other in case of fire or emergency. Make sure the meeting place is close to the house but far enough away to be safe.
• Practice your escape plan. The National Fire Protection Association recommends involving the whole family in a practice escape twice a year.
• Identify two ways out of each major room—usually a door and a window.
• Close the bedroom doors at night. According to the Chicago Fire Department, a closed door can keep out fire and smoke for up to 20 minutes. An open door lets in those killers right away.
• Check doors before opening them. If the smoke alarm goes off, feel the door with the back of your hand. If the door is hot, don’t open it. You can leave through the window if you’re on the first floor. If you’re higher, blow a whistle, scream, or make any loud sound. Wave a pillowcase, shirt, or some other cloth for attention. Don’t hide!
• Crawl. If the smoke alarm goes off in the middle of the night, roll out of bed and crawl under the smoke. Keep crawling until you reach the meeting place outside.
• Don’t waste time. Fires move fast, so you have to move fast too. Don’t hide, don’t grab valuable, don’t try to save pets, and don’t use elevators. Just get out.
• Go to the meeting place. Do not go back inside—for any reason. Tell a firefighter if you know someone is still inside.
• Call 911. If firefighters aren’t already there, call 911 from your meeting place—or from a neighbor’s house.

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