Calling firefighters by calling number 192 from any telephone should be the first attitude in a fire situation. But in order to help and save lives, you must first think about your own safety, because the extreme heat and inhalation of the smoke from the fire causes serious respiratory problems that can lead to death.
If there are casualties in the area, and if you want to help, you should protect yourself from smoke and fire by wetting a T-shirt with water and flushing it all over, then fastening the T-shirt around your head to have your hands free. This is essential so that the smoke from the fire does not harm your own breathing and can help others, but safely.
Can I rescue fire victims?
In the face of a fire at home or in the forest, the ideal is to wait for the help provided by the Fire Department because these professionals are well trained and efficient to save lives and control the fire. But if you can help, you should follow these recommendations.
If you find any victims you should:
1. Move the victim to a cool, ventilated place away from the smoke, wet his face with a T-shirt wet with water or saline solution to reduce discomfort;
2. Assess whether the victim is conscious and breathing :
- If the victim does not breathe, call for medical help by calling 192 and then begin mouth-to-mouth and cardiac massage;
- If you are breathing but fainting, call 192 and lie on your side, placing it in the safety side position.
Fire smoke is highly toxic and therefore can seriously affect the body. Therefore, even if the victim is conscious and does not present any symptoms or discomfort, it is advised to go to an emergency room to have a medical evaluation and tests to ensure that the person is out of danger.
Many victims die after being in a fire due to respiratory complications such as pneumonia or bronchiolitis, which can manifest hours after the fire and can lead to death and therefore all people who have been in a fire place should be evaluated by the doctors.
How to protect yourself in a fire
To minimize damage to health, if you are in a fire situation, the following guidelines should be followed:
What to do
- Crouch and protect the nose and mouth with a wet cloth . The smoke will rise by consuming the oxygen that is available in the room, but the closer to the floor, the greater the amount of oxygen available;
- Do not breathe through the mouth, because the nose can better filter the toxic gases from the air;
- You should look for a more airy place to stay, such as in a window, for example;
- If other rooms in the house are on fire, you can cover the cracks in the doors with clothes or sheets to prevent smoke from entering the room where you are. If possible, soak your clothes with water and everything you use to block fire and smoke;
- Before opening a door you should put your hand to check its temperature, if it is very hot, it may indicate that there is fire on the other side, and therefore you should not open that door, since it can protect you from the fire;
- If your clothes begin to catch fire, the most correct is to lie down and roll on the floor to eliminate the flames, because running will increase the fire and burn the skin quickly;
- It is only recommended to go out the window of a house or building, if it is on the ground floor or on the first floor, if it is above, you should wait for the firemen.
What not to do
- The elevators should not be used because in a fire the electricity is cut off and you may be caught in the elevator, which, in addition to being able to catch fire, is prone to smoke;
- The floors of a building should not be climbed unless these are emergency exit guidelines during a fire or if it is essential;
- One should not stay in the kitchen, in the garage, or inside the car because of gas and gasoline that could lead to explosions;
How a fire affects health
In a fire people can die burned, but a fire can also lead to death from lack of oxygen and respiratory infection that can even come hours later. Lack of oxygen in the air leads to disorientation, weakness, nausea, vomiting and fainting.
When the person passes out, they can still breathe but are unconscious and if they remain at the scene of the fire, they are less likely to survive. A reduced amount of oxygen can lead to death in less than 10 minutes and so rescue of fire victims should be done as soon as possible.
In addition to the fire endangering life by burning clothing, skin and objects, extreme heat burns the airways and smoke consumes oxygen from the air, leaving large amounts of CO2 and toxic particles that when inhaled reach the lungs causing intoxication.
Thus, the victim may die from fire, smoke, or respiratory infections caused by heat or smoke.
Signs that indicate respiratory intoxication
After exposure to large amounts of smoke, there may be some life-threatening signs and symptoms of respiratory poisoning, such as:
- Difficulty breathing, even in a cool, ventilated place;
- Hoarse voice;
- Very severe cough;
- Smell of smoke or chemical in the exhaled air;
- Mental confusion like not knowing where it is, what happened and confusing people, dates and names.
If anyone experiences these symptoms, even if conscious, medical help should be called immediately by calling 192, or transporting them to a nearby emergency room.
Some dangerous substances in the smoke may take up to a few hours to cause symptoms, so it is recommended to keep the victim's surveillance at home or take it to the hospital for evaluation.
A fire situation can leave fatal victims and survivors may require psychological or psychiatric monitoring during the first few months.
