What Are Back Drafts And How Do They Affect Home Fires

How would you react if you were to find yourself trapped in a burning building? Would you panic and do something that might be for the best like jumping out of a window when you could have an easier smarter escape route? People do panic in certain dangerous situations. It is sometimes the most immediate human reaction to danger. We all know that it is much better to try and stay calm and keep a cool head, but when you know there is a fire looming about that can cause you such excruciating pain and your death, you might react irrationally.

When faced with a fire in a building, you must quickly access the situation, but not necessarily react quickly. First you first try to determine how large the fire is and where it is coming from. If you are in a room with the door closed and it is hot to the touch, never open it if it can be avoided. Find something to stuff underneath the door to keep the smoke out as long as possible. If you open the door you can let the fire enter where you are more quickly. Keeping the fire at bay for as long as possible is the most important thing.

The reason it is not safe to open a door that is hot is because the fire is most likely right outside or very near. When a fire is in search of more oxygen to continue burning, opening a closed door to the room you are in can give the fire the oxygen that it needs to burst into bigger life. It can deliver an explosive effect into the room. If you are in the path when the door is open the flames can engulf you easily. This is sometimes referred to as a back draft.

Firemen are always aware of the possibility of a back draft. They have to deal with serious fires all of the time and this is what they are trained for. They know the warning signs of a possible back draft and try to avoid them and find another way to handle the situation at hand if possible. If you believe you could create a back draft by opening a door, leave it closed and try the window.

If the fire is in the room with you, it can be dangerous to open the window or door. Stay as close to the floor as you can and never jump from a high window if you see help on the way. If at all possible you should wait for the firemen to get to you.

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Rachel Yoshida is a writer of many topics, visit some of her sites, like Water Damage Restoration and Houston Water Damage Restoration.

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