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Home Fire Escape Planning

An open door leading to a room engulfed in flames.

Your ability to get out depends on
- Advance warning from smoke alarms
- Advance planning.

Fire can spread rapidly through your home, leaving you as little as one or two minutes to escape safely once the alarm sounds.

Make and practice your fire escape plan:

  • Draw a map of your home. 
  • Find two ways out of every room.
  • Make sure doors and windows are not blocked.
  • Practice fire drills.
  • Choose an outside meeting place in front of your home.
  • Practice your home fire drill with everyone in the home.
GET OUT FAST: You could have less than 2 minutes to get out safely once the smoke alarm sounds:
- Know two ways to exit every room
- Know to get low and stay under the smoke.

NFPA: Learn How To Make A Home Fire Safety Plan

Make Every Second Count!

  • Draw a map of your home marking two exits from each room and a path to the outside from each exit.
  • Practice your home fire drill twice a year. Conduct one at night and one during the day with everyone in your home, and practice using different ways out.
  • Teach children how to escape on their own in case you can’t help them.
  • Make sure the address number of your home is clearly marked and easy for the fire department to find.
  • Close doors behind you as you leave – this may slow the spread of smoke, heat, and fire.
  • Once you get outside, stay outside. Never go back inside a burning building.

Helpful Hints

Share these graphics with your family and friends! We encourage you to print these and also share on social media.

An infographic urging to create and practice a fire escape plan twice a year, with a floor plan and escape routes.
Graphic of a fire escape plan and Spanish text advising to make and practice an escape plan twice a year.
Safety infographic advising to know two ways out of every room, featuring a door and window as exits.
Safety infographic about knowing two exit ways from each room, endorsed by U.S. Fire Administration and FEMA.
Family evacuates home with smoke, message advises to stay out and call 911 when smoke alarm sounds.
A family evacuates a smoking house, instructions in Spanish to leave during a fire alarm and call 911 are present.
Illustration of people crawling under smoke, with a message: "Smoke is poisonous. Get low to escape through smoke."
Visual aid showing bars on windows and instructing user to have quick release
Illustration of people crawling under smoke with a poison warning and text about escaping smoke.
An illustration showing a child opening window grills with text advising to ensure grills and doors open quickly for fire escape.
Visual aid instructing you to have clear paths to exits in Spanish
Visual aid instructing you to have clear paths to exits
Safety graphic advising to choose an outdoor meeting spot where firefighters can see you easily.
Safety message: Pick a clear meeting spot outside your home for firefighters to find you easily. #SafetyTip
Illustration of a room with clear paths to a door and window. Text advising against blocking exits with furniture for fire safety.
Fire safety graphic: Keep doors/windows clear from furniture for escape during a fire. Contains FEMA and US Fire Administration logos.
Public service image with a family and text urging to teach everyone at home to dial 911 or local emergency number.
A family with a child learning to dial 911, promoting emergency preparedness with FEMA and US Fire Administration logos.
An infographic urging to create and practice a fire escape plan twice a year, with a floor plan and escape routes.
Graphic of a fire escape plan and Spanish text advising to make and practice an escape plan twice a year.
Safety infographic advising to know two ways out of every room, featuring a door and window as exits.
Safety infographic about knowing two exit ways from each room, endorsed by U.S. Fire Administration and FEMA.
Family evacuates home with smoke, message advises to stay out and call 911 when smoke alarm sounds.
A family evacuates a smoking house, instructions in Spanish to leave during a fire alarm and call 911 are present.
Illustration of people crawling under smoke, with a message: "Smoke is poisonous. Get low to escape through smoke."
Visual aid showing bars on windows and instructing user to have quick release
Illustration of people crawling under smoke with a poison warning and text about escaping smoke.
An illustration showing a child opening window grills with text advising to ensure grills and doors open quickly for fire escape.
Visual aid instructing you to have clear paths to exits in Spanish
Visual aid instructing you to have clear paths to exits
Safety graphic advising to choose an outdoor meeting spot where firefighters can see you easily.
Safety message: Pick a clear meeting spot outside your home for firefighters to find you easily. #SafetyTip
Illustration of a room with clear paths to a door and window. Text advising against blocking exits with furniture for fire safety.
Fire safety graphic: Keep doors/windows clear from furniture for escape during a fire. Contains FEMA and US Fire Administration logos.
Public service image with a family and text urging to teach everyone at home to dial 911 or local emergency number.
A family with a child learning to dial 911, promoting emergency preparedness with FEMA and US Fire Administration logos.

Source for Content: National Fire Protection Association and U.S. Fire Administration