Wild fires - Survival Skills.

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A survival plan isn’t really complete until the potential victims have used it.

When my children were still living with us I did throw a mattress out of a bedroom window, climb out into the roof of a bay window and jump down onto it.

@Broch ‘s talk of revising plans made me realise that neither of us two remaining have any alternative to the single set of stairs. Nothing we can sensibly do other than the multiple alarms in each room with the main ones interconnected. Thanks for making me think.

Hardly a wildfire but parts of my garden could easily catch fire right now.
what mattress, how big a window? imagine getting the mattress stuck in the window. bit of a disaster there. how much difference does a mattress make when landing on a patio or flower bed or garden furniture. prevention and early detection are what makes the difference. Not sure how old you are but lower leg injuries can be life limiting the information from 30 years ago may not be exactly vaild any more.
 
@lou1661

That’s my whole point isn’t it?

You don’t know how it will work until you’ve tried it.

In the case of my house, my garden and my family: we practiced it, it worked fine and I’m here to prove it.

It was also my point above: that it wouldn’t work now for a couple of pensioners and I have had to review it.
You haven’t got a safety plan until you’ve worked through it in situ.

@Broch reminds us all to review our safety plans. Thanks Broch.


Edited to add:
I’ve had to work through this in an academic scenario when exploring “Learning Styles”.

The example I chose was domestic fire fighting.
You can theorists and reflect on how you’d fight fire. However it is, to say the least, sensible to go on a practical course and set off fire extinguishers to put out real controlled fires.
But
You only really learn about fighting a fire when there is a real risk to you, yours or your property.

So:
If you’ve got a plan take yourself through it for real. It’s the best you can do in the hope that you never have to do it under real emergency conditions.
 
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When we did our renovation, the Building Inspector required that every room had at least one window that opened far enough for escape. We had to have a minimum of one special "tilt and turn" window in each upstairs room to make escape easier, plus an extra external door in one downstairs room (we thus have 2 back doors as well as the front door).

The size of the "escape" pane had to be a minimum so no smashing glass needed. The "tilt and turn" windows also needed a specific type of restrictor- stop children falling out in normal use but could be unlatched quickly if need to fully open the window. All this was checked in detail before sign off was given (we are in a local authority with proper LA employed old-school knowledgable Building Inspectors though).

If you have a recent renovation or new build under Building Regs that should apply. Also needed hard-wired smoke/heat alarms plus hardwired CO alarms (for the solid fuel stoves).

GC
 
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In case of any disaster such as wildfires I have found the best policy is to walk briskly in the opposite direction and deny everything. Feign surprise when told of the incident.
Where I grew up one of the first phrases you learned was "It was already like that when I got here Officer". ;)
 
Home fire plan, yeah have sort of though about it given I live in a mid 80's timber framed building comprising of eight self contained studio flats, but living on the ground floor with two fulling opening top hung windows exiting on two different directions both of which lead to the road, am less worried. In addition I know there is some rather sensitive smoke detectors out in the communal area so if fire is about those things should give it welly. But in addition I have smoke alarms in my own place in fact two different types and an extinguisher.

As to wild fires, it's possible I guess but if anywhere is going to go up it and am surprised it's hasn't given the numpties have seen up there with disposable BBQ's it will be up on the cliffs of which is bone dry grass, gorse and blackthorn and if a fire does break out it will be well fanned from the prevailing off the sea.
 
As noted above having a clear exit is paramount, whether doors or windows.

One thing I don't understand (and never have) is that all commercial fire doors open out wards for ease of exit should a fire be taking place but all domestic external fire doors open inwards which makes it more difficult to escape but does allow police\firebrigade easy access as it is easy to force the door from the outside. Giving the increasing response times of the emergency services, it is perhaps time to revise that planning\buildings standards policy.

Similarly, Euro style tilt and turn windows should be the default for new build (and when replacing existing) for single windows or panel section of a larger window for at least bedrooms.
 

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