- Can I help fire victims?
- How to protect yourself in a fire
- What not to do
- How a fire affects health
- Signs that indicate respiratory intoxication
If smoke has been inhaled, it is recommended to seek medical help as soon as possible to prevent permanent damage to the respiratory tract. In addition, it is recommended to go to an open and airy place and lie on the floor, preferably on your side.
The first thing to do in a fire situation should be to call the fire department by calling 192. But in order to help and save lives, you must first think about your own safety, because the extreme heat and the inhalation of fire smoke causes serious problems respiratory diseases that can lead to death.
If there are victims at the scene, and if you want to help, you must protect yourself from smoke and fire by wetting a shirt with water and wiping it all over the face, and then tying the shirt around your head to have your hands free. This is essential so that smoke from the fire does not harm your own breathing and can help others, but in safety.
Can I help fire victims?
Faced with 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 a victim you should:
1. Take the victim to a cool, airy place and away from smoke, wet his face with a shirt wet with water or saline to reduce discomfort;
2. Assess whether the victim is conscious and breathing:
- If the victim does not breathe, call medical help by calling 192 and then start mouth-to-mouth breathing and cardiac massage; if you are breathing but passed out, call 192 and lay the person on their side, placing them in the lateral position of safety.
Fire smoke is highly toxic and can therefore severely affect the body. Thus, even if the victim is conscious and does not have any symptoms or discomfort, it is advisable to go to the 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, which can lead to death and therefore all people who have been in a fire place should be evaluated by 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:
- Squat and protect your nose and mouth with a wet cloth. The smoke will rise consuming the oxygen that is available in the room, but the closer to the floor, the greater the amount of oxygen available; You should not breathe through your mouth, because your nose can better filter toxic gases from the air; You should look for a more airy place to stay, such as 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, wet 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 too hot, it may indicate that there is fire on the other side, and therefore you should not open that door, as it may protect you from fire; If your clothes start to catch fire, the most correct thing is to lie down and roll on the floor to eliminate the flames, because running will increase the fire and burn your skin quickly; It is only recommended to go out the window of a house or building, if you are on the ground floor or on the 1st floor, if you are above, you must wait for the fire department.
What not to do
- Elevators should not be used because electricity is cut off in a fire and you may be trapped inside the elevator, which in addition to catching fire, is prone to smoke; The floors of a building should not be climbed, unless these are the guidelines for emergency exit during a fire, or if it is essential; You should not stay in the kitchen, in the garage, or in the car because of the gas and gasoline that can lead to explosions;
How a fire affects health
The fire, in addition to resulting in severe burns, can also lead to death from lack of oxygen and respiratory infection that can arise hours after the fire. The lack of oxygen in the air leads to disorientation, weakness, nausea, vomiting and fainting.
When the person passes out, he can still breathe but he is unconscious and if he remains at the scene of the fire, he is less likely to survive. A reduced amount of oxygen can lead to death in less than 10 minutes and therefore the rescue of fire victims must be carried out as soon as possible.
In addition to the fire endangering life by burning clothes, skin and objects, extreme heat burns the airways and smoke consumes oxygen in 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 being exposed to large amounts of smoke, some signs and symptoms of respiratory intoxication can appear that can be life-threatening, such as:
- Difficulty breathing, even in a cool and airy place; Hoarse voice; Very intense cough; Smell of smoke or chemical in the breath; Mental confusion like not knowing where you are, what happened and confusing people, dates and names.
If anyone has these symptoms, even if they are conscious, you should immediately call for medical help by calling 192, or transporting them to a nearby emergency room.
Some dangerous substances present in the smoke can take up to a few hours to cause symptoms, so it is recommended to keep the victim under surveillance at home or take him to the hospital for evaluation.
A fire situation can leave fatalities and survivors may need psychological or psychiatric support during the first few months.
