Tips on fire safety in hotels

Hotel fire accidents …

According to a US Fire Administration report, an estimated 3,900 hotel and motel fires were reported to them each year  and that caused an estimated 15 deaths, 150 injuries, and $76 million in property loss.

Hotel fire incidents: 

• occur daily all over the world.
• can strike at anytime at any place and it does not choose its victims.
• do caused injuries or even deaths.

Hotel fires – examples of hotel fire that happened in different parts of the world. Some of its occupants,   who were unable to escape or be evacuated on time,  died due to smoke inhalation or its blazing fires. 

Low Rise Hotels

A High Rise Hotel

If you are staying in one of these hotels: 

• What would be your reaction? 
• Do you know what to do for yourself or your family?
• Wish you had spent few minutes to locate the fire emergency exits or fire safety measures.  

It is extremely useful, if you are familiar with basic fire safety tips. You will be less likely to panic and more likely to survive. 

Get to know your hotel fire safety requirements,  whenever you check into a hotel. It takes only a few minutes to find out, but it can save your life in a real fire.

• Be familiar with the location/s of fire emergency exits and stairwells.
• Normally displayed near to elevator lobby of each floor. 
• Important to pack a small torch light in your travelling kit.
• Place your torch light, together with your mobile phone, other emergency items, near to your bed each night.

In a fire, while it is natural for individual is to want to get out of the room quickly, but it has to be safe. 

• Do stay calm and consider alternatives. 
• Do not risk your life, or break your arms / legs by jumping out from high floors.

More safety tips on hotel fire.

For your personal safety and also to save lives, do not miss this opportunity to know more about fire safety.

• Make a copy of these safety tips, retain in your travel kit for reference. 
• Be familiar with the safety tips before arrival at your hotel. 
• Refresh the safety tips in your room after you have check in.

1. If you awake to find smoke in your room, grab your key (or key card) and crawl to the door on your hands and knees. 
2. Do not stand-smoke and deadly gases rise while the fresher air will be near the floor.
3. Before you open the door, feel it with the palm of your hand. 
4. If the door or knob is hot, the fire may be right outside. 
5. Open the door slowly. Be ready to slam it shut if the fire is close by. 
6. If your exit path is clear, crawl into the hallway. 
7. Be sure to close the door behind you to keep smoke out in case you have to return to your room. 
8. Take your key/key card, as most hotel doors lock automatically. 
9. Stay close to the wall to avoid being trampled. 
10. Do not use elevators during a fire. They may malfunction, or if they have heat-activated call buttons, they may take you directly to the fire floor. 
11. As you make your way to the fire exit, stay on the same side as the exit door. Count the doors to the exit.
12. When you reach the exit, walk down the stairs to the first floor. Hold onto the handrail for guidance and protection from being knocked down by other occupants. 
13. If you encounter heavy smoke in the stairwell, do not try to run through it. You may not make it.
14. Instead, turn around and walk up to the roof fire exit. Prop the door open to ventilate the stairwell and to keep from being locked out. 
15. Find the windward side of the roof, sit down, and wait for firefighters to find you.
16. If all exits are blocked or if there is heavy smoke in the hallway, you will be better off staying in your room.
17. If there is smoke in your room, open a window and turn on the bathroom vent. 
18. Do not break the window unless it cannot be opened. You might want to close the window later to keep smoke out, and broken glass could injure you or people below.
19. If your phone works, call the desk to tell someone where you are, or call the fire department to report your location in the building. 
20. Hang a bed sheet out the window as a signal. 
21. Fill the bathtub with water to use for fire fighting. Bail water onto your door or any hot walls with an ice bucket or waste basket. 
22. Stuff wet towels into cracks under and around doors where smoke can enter. 
23. Tie a wet towel over your mouth and nose to help filter out smoke. 
24. If there is fire outside your window, take down the drapes and move everything combustible away from the window. 
25. If you are above the second floor, you probably will be better off fighting the fire in your room than jumping. A jump from above the third floor may result in severe injury or death.

[Source: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/all_citizens/hotel.shtm]


More hotel fires  A list of major hotel fires in various part of the world,   from 1909 to 2011.