How to survive an airplane fire?

A fire on board an airliner is one of the most dangerous accidents: fire and smoke spread very quickly, leaving the crew and passengers very little time to take action. The main and, perhaps, the most difficult rule is not to panic, act calmly, decisively and quickly. Pilots and flight attendants are sure: no matter how scary, there is always a chance to escape.

How to prepare

You can take care of your own safety in advance: when registering, choose seats closer to the exits, during the briefing, remember where the emergency exits are and think over the evacuation route – calculate how many rows from your chair to the nearest exit.

How to breathe

The biggest danger in a fire is not fire, but smoke. “The basic principle of survival in a situation like this is to stay as close to the floor as possible, because the smoke rises and the air below is cleaner. There is no need to straighten up so that there is no risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, ”says Boeing pilot Roman Butenko. In case of strong smoke, you need to cover your nose and mouth with cotton or woolen clothing, moistening it with water if possible. If there is nothing to wet the fabric, you can breathe through a dry one: it passes combustion products, but it will protect the respiratory system at least partially.

You can also use masks that almost everyone has had in the last two years. But oxygen masks are unlikely to come in handy: “The fact is that they are used only when the aircraft is depressurized and structurally cannot protect against combustion products,” flight attendant Alena explains.

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Where to run< /h2>

Put on outerwear or wrap yourself in a blanket to protect your body from the fire. After the aircraft stops, you need to crouch or crawl to the nearest exit and leave the board without delay: an explosion is possible. In case of poor visibility, be guided by the luminous paths and the voices of the guides. If the passage is cluttered with things, you can climb over the chairs, overturning their backs.

Leave your hand luggage in the cabin: save yourself, not things.

After leaving the plane, you need to run away from it to the maximum distance and lie on the ground, covering your head with your hands – this will save you in case of an explosion.

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