Each year more than2,500 people die and 12,600 are injured in home fires just in the UnitedStates, with direct property(财产) lossbecause of home fires at about $7.3 billion every year. Every day Americansexperience tile horror(惨状) of fires, but most people don'tunderstand fires.
To protect yourself, itis important to learn something about home fires.
In less than 30 secondsa small flame can get completely out of control and turn into a major fire. Itonly takes minutes for thick black smoke to fill a house or for it to be inflames. Most deadly fires occur in the home when people are asleep, lf yourealize a fire, you won't have time to take valuables because the fire spreadstoo quickly and the smoke is too thick. The fire uses up the oxygen you needand produces smoke and poisonous(有毒的) gases that kill. Breathing even small amounts of smoke and toxicgases can make you tired and sleepy, and short of breath. The smoke can causeyou to be a deep sleeper before the flames reach your door. You may not wake upin time to escape.
Room temperatures in afire can be 100 degrees at floor level and rise to 600 degrees at eye level.Breathing in this super-hot air will burn your lungs. It can melt clothes toyour skin. In five minutes, a mom can get so hot that everything in it startsto burn at once.
Fires are bright atfirst, but quickly produce black smoke and complete darkness. If you wake up toa fire you may be blinded, confused about where you are or which direction you shouldgo in and unable to find your way around the home you've lived in for years.
Only when we know thetrue nature of fires can we prepare our families and ourselves.
