How to make a home fire escape plan
Make a home fire escape plan by walking through your home and finding two ways out of every room, checking that windows open and doors unlock easily, and choosing a meeting spot outside. In an apartment, know both stairways and never use the elevator. Practice getting out twice a year, including at night, and keep a flashlight and shoes by the bed.
Why it matters: In a real fire you may have only a couple of minutes to get out.
In an emergency, call your local emergency number, 911 in the US, first. Reading a page is not training: take a certified class and practice on a manikin.
Steps
- Sketch your home and mark two ways out of every room.
- Check that windows open and screens remove easily, and that doors unlock from inside without a key.
- In an apartment, walk to both stairways and count the doors on the way; never use the elevator in a fire.
- Choose a meeting spot outside, such as a lamppost or a neighbor's gate.
- Keep shoes, a flashlight and your phone by the bed.
- Practice: crawl low under smoke, feel doors with the back of your hand, and close doors behind you.
- Once out, stay out, and call your local emergency number, 911 in the US.
- Practice twice a year, and take a certified class in fire safety or first aid if you can.
Common mistakes
- Planning only one way out.
- Going back in for belongings or pets.
- Opening a hot door.
Teach this to someone
A one page sheet for showing a friend, a teenager or a parent: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: How to make a home fire escape plan
What to say
Make a home fire escape plan by walking through your home and finding two ways out of every room, checking that windows open and doors unlock easily, and choosing a meeting spot outside. In an apartment, know both stairways and never use the elevator. Practice getting out twice a year, including at night, and keep a flashlight and shoes by the bed.
What to show
- Sketch your home and mark two ways out of every room.
- Check that windows open and screens remove easily, and that doors unlock from inside without a key.
- In an apartment, walk to both stairways and count the doors on the way; never use the elevator in a fire.
- Choose a meeting spot outside, such as a lamppost or a neighbor's gate.
- Keep shoes, a flashlight and your phone by the bed.
- Practice: crawl low under smoke, feel doors with the back of your hand, and close doors behind you.
- Once out, stay out, and call your local emergency number, 911 in the US.
- Practice twice a year, and take a certified class in fire safety or first aid if you can.
Check question
How many ways out should each room have?
Answer: Two. One exit may be blocked by fire or smoke.
Your checklist
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Quick quiz
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Related skills
Sources
- US national fire protection guidance on home escape planning, 2026. Reviewed September 28, 2026.
Written in our own words from the sources above. It is general information, not advice for your situation; where a professional, your doctor or your lease says something different, follow them.
Last reviewed . First published .