Secret of preventing toxic smoke when the apartment is burnt

The cause of death of most fires and fires is smoke.

How to fight toxic smoke when the apartment is burnt

Smoke is one of the main reasons many people die in fires. Specifically, a lot of toxic gases will be produced CO ₂ , CO, ammonia, organic acids . in which CO ₂ and CO are the main causes of death.

When inhaled too many of these gases, the victim may suffer from acute poisoning. In addition, these gases also cause the body to consume a lot of physical strength due to lack of oxygen, so the victims die in fires largely due to trying to struggle in panic, making poisoning quickly .

As the most recent fire in the Xa La urban area apartment is an example. Although luckily there was no human damage, there were still some smoke-inhaling victims who had to go to emergency. So if this is the case, what will you do to avoid getting too much toxic smoke?

Prevent smoke poisoning when a fire occurs

The first thing you need to do is keep calm. Most people when they see smoke fall into a state of panic, rushing to find their way out without knowing that the risk of "smoke death" stalking them is very high. Determine the position of the flame, the location of the smoke source .

In case of smoke from above, or right in your floor , quickly move to the exit door and escape downstairs. In particular, do not use the elevator to escape when the building appears fire.

What if smoke comes from the lower floors ? Smoke has a rather fast loading rate - about 122m / min. So if the smoke comes from the lower floor, it is likely that the staircase has been blocked by smoke, like the case of a fire in Xa La.

In case you are on the lower floor, you can find a way to move down and exit. But if you're on a high floor, find a way to move back up to the rooftop , because moving in a smoke-filled environment for too long will cause you to collapse before you exit.

And yet, when you arrive, you need to determine the wind direction to choose the appropriate refuge angle to reduce the impact of the fire like heat, smoke blowing . From there, we will have more time to wait. rescue rescue.

The right move method

Moving methods will also help you avoid the risk of smoke poisoning - that is , crawling, crawling, or bending low . That's because smoke only rises above, and the floor is the place with the least smoke.

You should not run, even if you still tolerate smoke. The reason is because you have to keep your eyes and lungs as long as possible, because toxic smoke affects your body faster than you think.

Before that, wet a piece of cloth, wrap it around your nose and mouth. At this time, the cloth will become a respirator, helping you filter air and breathe more easily. If there is no fabric, you can also use a mask that has been wetted with water.

In addition, you can hold your breath for a few seconds when toxic smoke comes in, taking care not to shout because it will suffocate immediately.

Assistance and first aid for people with smoke inhalation

When a person shows signs of smoke inhalation, quickly remove the victim from an area with too much smoke . Then, find ways to clear the airways by artificial respiration.

If the patient has stopped the heart, stopped breathing, it should be promptly taken to the hospital for high-pressure oxygen to push the CO out.

For gases, toxic gases need to open the door completely, turn on the fan to blow smoke, gas, toxic vapors out and quickly bring the victim away from the gas, toxic smoke to a well-ventilated place for the patient to breathe oxygen. to expel gas, toxic vapors out.

The secret to escaping the fire is "calm, lying close to the ground, crawling, covering your face and not inhaling smoke" . And don't forget to never use the elevator when the building has a fire !