Feature: Surviving a Hotel Fire

In all my years of traveling, I was fortunate never to encounter a hotel fire.

As the experts say, the likelihood of a hotel fire is very small and, if you follow some simple rules, the likelihood of getting hurt is also very small.

But if you do get caught in a fire, you’ve got one thing to count on for survival - yourself. Like it or not, it’s up to you to get out or to stay alive - for hours perhaps - until firefighters reach you.

There are many disasters over which you have no control like an earthquake or a flood, but it’s different with a fire. You can take control if you follow a few tried and true procedures.

After you check in and get to your room, investigate the safety features. Locate the fire alarms, extinguishers and exits nearest exit to your room. If you are able to open your window, practice opening and closing it.

Count the doors between your room and exits, making note of any landmarks such as an ice machine that could help you locate the exit in smoke. If you find the fire doors locked - they shouldn’t be - complain immediately to the hotel’s management.

Find out how to shut off your room air-conditioning.

Study the building evacuation plan behind the entrance door to your room and behind the bathroom door.

Always keep your room key with you. Once you’re in the room at night, put your key in a place where you can find it easily, even in the dark. If you are awakened by loud voices or alarms in the night, investigate.

Don’t go back to sleep.

If there is a fire and it’s not in your room and you are able to leave follow these rules:

With key in hand, feel the door and door knob. If cool, open slowly checking the hall for smoke or fire.

If safe, leave the room and close the door behind you. Crawl down the hall to the exit using the landmarks you noticed on your way in and count the number of doors as you go past. Stay low to avoid smoke and harmful gases. When moving towards the exit, stay close to the wall on the fire exit side of the hallway.

Keep your room key with you as you may have to return to the room if exits are unusable.

Never use an elevators during a fire. They may take you directly to the fire floor.

When you reach the exit walk slowly downstairs holding onto the handrail. People running down the stars may knock you over and you may not be able to get back up.

If you find thicker smoke as you descend, do not try and run through it. Instead, turn round and go back either to your room or to the roof. When you get to the roof stay put. Firefighters check the roofs of tall buildings where there’s a fire.

If there’s a fire not in your room, but you cannot leave follow these rules:

If the phone works, call for help. Even if the fire department has arrived, call to tell them where you are. If possible, hang a sheet out of the window to help firemen locate you.

Fill the tub with water and wet sheets, towels and mats to stuff in cracks of doors to help keep smoke out. Using an ice bucket, bail out water from the tub onto a hot door to help keep it cool. Tie a wet towel around your nose and mouth to serve as a filter against the smoke. Turn off the air-conditioning and ventilation fans as they may draw smoke into the room.

Open windows for ventilation only if smoke is in your room. If smoke approaches your window from outside, close the window immediately. Don’t break a window because you may need to close it again.

If there are flames outside your window, pull down curtains and other flammable items which might feed the flames.

Many seasoned travelers pack a small flashlight in their luggage in case they have to evacuate a hotel in the dark. Some even bring duck tape which can be very effective around doors to stop smoke coming into the room.

Newer hotels should have up-to-date fire systems. But, apart from knowing what to do in the event of a fire, the greatest precaution you can tale is to make sure you don’t start the fire in the first place. So be careful with lighted cigarettes and electrical appliances like hair dryers.*