Recent apartment fires in Seattle have prompted the Seattle Fire Department to share tips with the public for reacting to a fire in their apartment building.
Several people were rescued by ladder from an apartment fire in Rainier Beach early Wednesday morning. One man jumped from a balcony to escape and was taken to the hospital in stable condition. SFD said three units in the building are uninhabitable, and the estimated loss is $130,000.
Residents were also temporarily displaced in March, when there was a blaze at a Belltown high-rise apartment. One man was critically wounded during the fire and two other people were treated at the scene for minor injuries. A man was later charged with arson in connection to the fire.
While alarms can be triggered from everything from a neighbor burning food to an actual fire, SFD says every fire alarm should be taken seriously.
Here is what to do and know when evacuating apartment buildings:
- Leave your unit and close doors as you go
- Use the stairs, not the elevator
- Wait outside for instructions and do not reenter without permission
- Do not wait on a balcony, courtyard or rooftop
- If it does not delay escape, bring a warm jacket, phone, keys and other necessities
- If it is cold enough, the fire department will call a public bus to serve as a temporary shelter. Otherwise, be prepared to wait outside for a few hours.
If it’s not possible to use the stairs because of smoke or other reasons:
- Shelter in place inside the unit
- Keep doors and windows closed
- Place a towel near the base of the door to keep smoke from entering
- Stay near a large window and do not wait inside bathrooms or on a deck
- Call 911 if smoke comes inside the apartment