Your home fire escape plan

You could have less than 2 minutes to escape a home fire once the smoke alarm sounds. There is no time to work out a plan then. Make it now, together, and practice it.

Make the plan

• Find 2 ways out of every room, in case the first one is blocked by fire or smoke.
• Make sure windows aren't stuck, screens come out quickly and any security bars open. A stuck window or blocked exit can trap you in a fire.
• Choose a meeting place outside, in front of your home, where everyone goes. Firefighters can see you there and know everyone is out.
• If someone in your home uses a walker or wheelchair, check that every exit is wide enough for them. People who can't move quickly need more time to escape.
• Teach children not to hide from firefighters. Firefighters' masks and suits can scare young children into hiding.

Practice it

• Practice your plan with everyone in your home twice a year. Knowing what to do lowers the risk of injury or death.
• Practice feeling your way out in the dark, or with your eyes closed. Smoke fills a room fast and makes it dark.

If there is a fire

• Get low. Drop to the floor and crawl under the smoke to your way out. Smoke and poisonous gases gather near the ceiling first.
• Feel the door first. If the doorknob or door is hot, use your second way out.
• If you can't get out, close the door and cover the cracks and vents with cloth or tape to keep smoke out.
• If your clothes catch fire: stop, drop to the ground, cover your face with your hands and roll.
• Go to your meeting place and call 911. If you can't reach someone who needs help, get out and call 911.
• Tell the firefighters if anyone is still inside. Firefighters have the gear and training to rescue people safely.

Sources

• Why each step matters: NFPA, U.S. Fire Administration, Oregon State Fire Marshal, U.S. Fire Administration, Oregon State Fire Marshal, Ready.gov (FEMA).
• Less than 2 minutes to escape, a meeting place in front of the home, telling the fire department if someone is trapped: U.S. Fire Administration, Home fire escape plans (page last reviewed April 10, 2025).
• Two ways out of each room, windows, screens and security bars, walkers and wheelchairs, children hiding, practicing twice a year and in the dark, crawling low, feeling the door, sealing a room, stop drop and roll, calling 911: Ready.gov, Home fires (last updated February 26, 2026).