How to avoid the thick smoke in a fire

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How to avoid the thick smoke in a fire? When faced with a fire, the first \"enemy\" one encounters is not the unbearable high temperature and flames, but rather the thick smoke. Statistics show that 80% of people in fires die from smoke inhalation rather than being burned to death; those who appear to have died from burns actually first died from asphyxiation due to smoke poisoning before being set on fire. Although the thick smoke in a fire is terrifying, it is possible to escape safely as long as the right methods are used. I. Method of covering the nose with a wet towel: Step 1: Prepare a cotton towel (Note: Wet synthetic fibers can cause suffocation, so do not use them) ； Step 2: Soak thoroughly, then wring out to half-dry. (Note: Excessively wet towels can cause breathing difficulties; therefore, when using a wet towel, its water content should generally be kept at less than 3 times the towel’s own weight.) ； Step 3: Fold the wet towel three times to create 8 layers, then cover your mouth and nose with it; this serves as a simple gas mask ； Step 4: If the smoke isn’t too thick, you can walk while bending down ； In the case of thick smoke, one must crawl, as the smoke is thinner in the air layer 30 centimeters above the ground. II. The method of holding out and waiting for rescue: If the escape route is blocked by fire and the flames have not yet reached the room, close the doors and windows tightly and seal any gaps to prevent smoke and fire from entering. If the doors and walls become hot, it indicates that a large fire is approaching; under no circumstances should windows or doors be opened. The openings can be sealed with wet blankets or similar materials, and water should be poured on them continuously. At the same time, cover your mouth and nose with a wet towel – if no wet towel is available, other cotton fabrics can be used as a substitute. III. Rapid evacuation method: If the fire is nearby, and smoke begins to spread in front of one’s eyes, it is necessary to leave within 2 minutes; otherwise, the room will be filled with smoke within 3 minutes, and after 4 minutes, the thick smoke will make it impossible to tell which way is which. After that, those remaining in the room would die from the smoke. If you are on the 2nd or 3rd floor, run downstairs immediately ； If you are on the 4th floor or above and suddenly see smoke, the chances of rushing out in the direction of the smoke are extremely low; instead, consider finding other ways to escape, or signal for help from a visible location such as a balcony and wait for rescue. IV. The top floor of a building is not safe. Many people assume that the highest floor is farthest from sources of fire and therefore the safest, but this is a fatal mistake. The smoke rises rapidly up the building and can reach the top floor in no time. Only after the highest levels are filled with thick smoke does the layer of smoke descend to the lower levels. Prior to this, the smoke density and temperature on each floor were **lower than those on the top floor. Therefore, when it is found at the top floor that there is no way to reach the rooftop, one should quickly head to a middle floor that is far away from both the source of fire and the top floor; ideally, a refuge floor would be best, where one can take shelter inside a room, explain the situation, and wait for rescue in a room with access to water. V. Evacuate quickly in case of a fire downstairs: When the entire building is filled with thick smoke and you are trapped in your room, first check whether there is a fire in the room on the lower floor; if so, the fire could spread upward, and you should promptly move to a room on the other side of the building. The window of the room chosen for taking shelter from fireworks should not be located in the part of the building where the fire is, and especially not above the source of the fire. Furthermore, a sturdy door can withstand fire for at least 20-30 minutes, while fire-resistant doors can hold up for over an hour; pouring water on the door to cool it down can further extend this resistance time.