How to Hunker in During a High-Rise Building Fire

Oct 1, 2010
Toby Welch

High-Rise Fire - Rob Vincent

Have you ever been in a high-rise during a fire? This article will share what you need to know if you decide to stay put in order to stay safe.

If a fire starts in the high-rise building you are in, you have two options - you can evacuate or you can stay where you are. There are some things to consider if you decide to stay put and protect-in-place.

Close Your Door!

George Hitchcock, past Division Chief of Fire/Life Safety Education for the City of Brampton Fire and Emergency Services, says it is vital to close all doors in the event of a fire. This will slow the spread of smoke and flames. Hitchcock described a recent incident to illustrate the importance. A fire started in a high-rise apartment and the occupant left the balcony door and the main door to the hallway open when he fled, feeding the flames. Had the occupant closed both doors the spread of the fire and smoke would have been dramatically slower.

How to Protect-In-Place

Find the most secure place in your area. A completely enclosed room with a solid door, a window, and a telephone is ideal. Then call 9-1-1. If you are staying in a hotel, get an outside line and call the fire department directly. Do not just contact the hotel staff. Never assume someone has already alerted the fire department. Now you can set about protecting yourself.

Close all doors in your space but do not lock them. Firefighters may need to enter to make sure you are okay.
Seal all cracks with a wet towel or other linens to keep smoke out. Use wet clothes if you have nothing else. This includes the cracks of the doors as well as ventilation ducts and mail slots. Wide duct tape can also be used.
Fill a bathtub with water. Use it to soak the linens. Use a bucket or pail to scoop water from the tub to soak the doors and walls if they get warm. Soak everything you can. Don’t worry about the mess.
Turn on the bathroom fan to help ventilate the smoke. Shut off exterior fans and air-conditioners as they could draw smoke into your room.
Listen for instructions from your building’s voice communication system if it has one. Deputy Chief Garry Bell of the Brandon Fire Department/Emergency Services says, “If people hear instructions over their building’s public address system, they should listen carefully and follow those instructions. They may be told to stay where they are or given alternate routes of egress.”
Open a window for air. Do not break it. The glass or items you throw through the window could hurt firefighters on the ground. The broken glass could seriously cut you. Also, you may need to close the window if smoke starts to come in.
Cover your mouth and nose with a wet cloth. To do this, fold the wet cloth into a triangle, put the corner in your mouth, and tie it behind your head. This will make an adequate filter.
If the door gets very hot, put a mattress against it if there is one in your area and pour water on it and the door. Continually douse it. Hold the mattress in place with a dresser or other heavy item if necessary. Soak everything.
If there is smoke in the room, make a tent around yourself with a wet blanket or water-soaked cotton bed sheet at an open window. Constantly make sure you aren’t breathing in smoke that is rising from lower levels and entering the window. If possible, open another window at the top to allow rising smoke to escape.
You need to let firefighters know where you are. According to Wayne Brown, past Acting Fire Marshall for the City of Calgary, “You should call 911 to make them aware of your situation. The dispatcher will pass this information on to responding crews”. Brown suggests using discretion if you choose to hang a sheet out the window to indicate where you are, especially if you must break the window. You have to use common sense and caution to ensure smoke and fire do not enter from below.
If the fire is outside the window, pull down the drapes and move everything combustible away from the window. Douse the window with water. Again, soak everything.
Very few people burn to death in fires. Smoke and poisonous gases are the leading cause of death. Therefore, stay low to the floor as heat and smoke rise.
It won’t be long now until help arrives. Calmly wait to be rescued as you continue to fight the smoke and fire. Do not panic. Do not jump as your chances of survival above the third floor are slim.

Keep in mind that firefighters cannot rescue you above the seventh floor from your window or balcony. In high-rises, firefighters must fight the fire and rescue people from the inside.

Almost all of us have been 'trained' to evacuate as soon as you hear a smoke alarm. Now we have another option to consider. Ultimately it is up to the person in the fiery building to decide for his or herself if it is a better idea to evacuate a burning high-rise or stay where you are and protect-in-place.

Make Yourself a Protect-In-Place Kit

Go to your local hardware store and pick up a large bucket with a lid. Fill it with the following items so you’ll be ready for an emergency in a high-rise where you live or work.

Big towels – for covering door cracks after they are soaked
Small towels – to soak and put over your mouth and nose
Duct tape – for sealing cracks
Flashlight – in case the power fails
A copy of your building’s emergency handbook

Use the bucket to store these items. The bucket can be used to fill with water during a fire. With this kit, you’ll be better prepared if you decide to protect-in-place instead of evacuate a high-rise fire.