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Your house is on fire. How many minutes do you have to get out alive? A survey asked that question. Eighty percent of Americans answered "5 or 10 minutes." Is that what you guessed? If so, you are wrong. You have three minutes or less to get out alive. That's what Underwriters Laboratories (UL) says. The group does advanced fire safety testing! Homes burn much faster than they used to. About 30 years ago, you had up to 17 minutes to escape a burning house. Now many newer homes have open floor plans. That means there are fewer walls to stop flames. That also allows oxygen to feed a fire. Newer building materials and fabrics burn faster than older products.
UL made a shocking video. It shows a newer living room and an old-style living room. Both are set on fire at the same time. The newer room fills with flames much faster. "We can't [say] it enough," said UL fire safety expert Stephen Kerber. "If you can get out, get out." Home fires kill more people than any other kind of fire. About seven Americans a day die in house fires.
Part of the problem is that people try to put out the flames. Or they take photos and search for pets. There just isn't time to do so. Most people shouldn't bother using a fire extinguisher. That's what the Federal Emergency Management Administration says. Most people don't know how to use one the right way.