Algorithm of actions in case of fire

Emergencies happen daily, and none of us are immune to them. They usually arise suddenly and require immediate, active responses.

Behavior in the event of an ignition or discovery of a fire depends on the specific situation and conditions of fire spread. However, in any case, one should not panic or lose self-control. You should call the Ministry of Emergency Situations duty service as soon as possible at "101" or "112" and report the fire, and then try to quickly assess the situation and act according to your age, skills, and capabilities, without endangering your life. In most cases, when an ignition is detected at its very initial stage, it can be extinguished with literally one glass of water or by covering it with a wet tablecloth, blanket, or any other dense, non-synthetic material; if possible, use a fire extinguisher. But when the flames have already spread and the intervention of professional rescuers is necessary, then you must call "101" as soon as possible and leave the premises, apartment, or building by the shortest and safest route. The most important thing is to try to quickly assess the situation and the degree of danger for yourself, for the residents of your apartment, and for your neighbors on the stairwell. This is a difficult task even for an adult, given the unusual situation a person finds themselves in during a fire. Some elementary knowledge should help here.

What if a fire occurs in an apartment, entrance, or office?

Upon discovering a fire, you must immediately call the Ministry of Emergency Situations rescuers at "101" or "112" and report the following information:

-the address where the ignition or fire was discovered;

-the object where the fire is occurring: in the yard, in an apartment, in an entrance, in an office, etc.;

-what exactly is burning: a television, furniture, a car;

The dispatcher will ask you to clarify: the house number, entrance, apartment, on which floor it is burning, from where it is more convenient to approach, the code for entering the entrance, whether there is danger to people, etc., as well as your last name and phone number.

You must speak clearly and calmly on the phone, without rushing.

Know this! While you are reporting the fire, rescue units are already on alert and are heading to the scene (all necessary information will be transmitted to the rescuers by radio).

Remember! If you rely only on yourself, then in the 10-15 minutes you spend rushing around your apartment or entrance, firefighters would have already arrived, started extinguishing the fire, and rescued people and property. Do not risk your life and the lives of your neighbors; call rescuers as soon as possible. If you do not have a phone in your apartment, notify your neighbors and ask them to urgently call "101". If you discover a small ignition but cannot extinguish it immediately on your own, immediately call the Ministry of Emergency Situations duty service. In this case, it is better to be safe and call professionals than to fight a spreading fire yourself.

What not to do during a fire?

1. overestimate your strength and capabilities;

2. risk your life to save property;

3. engage in extinguishing the fire without first calling the firefighters;

4. extinguish live electrical appliances with water;

5. hide in closets, storerooms, huddle in corners, etc.;

6. try to exit through a smoke-filled stairwell (a wet cloth does not protect against carbon monoxide);

7. use the elevator;

8. descend by ropes, sheets, drainpipes from floors above the third;

9. open windows and doors (this increases draft and intensifies burning);

10. jump from upper-story windows;

11. succumb to panic.

The course of action in any emergency situation can be found by any smartphone or tablet user in the "What to do?" section of the mobile application "Ministry of Emergency Situations of Belarus: Help is Near".