Fire

Dear Jan，

You wont believe what has happened on my holiday. Im OK， so dont worry， but... there was a fire in our holiday apartment last night！ We heard the fire alarm at two oclock in the morning. I thought it was a bad dream at first， but then my father told us to get up. He knew just what to do！ I was about to run into the hallway， but Dad told us to wait. He put his hands on the door to feel if it was hot. It was！That meant that the fire was right outside our door！ Dad told us to go to the balcony （陽臺） outside. We were only on the first floor， and there was a sandy beach below， so we jumped. The fire department soon came and put the fire out. Luckily， everyone in the apartment building was OK. Ill tell you more when I get back home.

Love，

Sarah

Here are some instructions for fire safety：

If you discover a fire， remember to stop， look and think.

1. Stay calm.

2. Use the first fire alarm that you see.

3. Tell other people about the fire as soon as possible.

4. Call the emergency services at once.

If you hear the fire alarm：

1. Leave the building immediately.

2. Before you open a door， feel it to see if it is hot. If the door is hot， do not open it.

3. Do not run. Walk quickly but calmly.

4. If there is smoke， move near to the floor. The best air is at floor level.

5. Close all doors behind you.

6. Do not use lifts in a fire.

7. Meet outside the building， in the main car park.

If you are trapped：

1. Go into a room with a window.

2. Shut the door.

3. Open the window and call for help.

4. If you must climb out of the window， go feet first. Lower yourself by your arms， then drop to the ground.

Do not go back inside the building. Wait for emergency services to arrive.

The triangle of fire

A fire needs three things to burn： ignition （a spark or flame to start the fire）， air and fuel （something to burn， for example： wood）. If any one of these three things is removed， a fire cannot burn.

You can prevent fire by stopping ignition：

●Be careful with matches and candles.

●Watch out for old， worn electrical wires that may cause a spark.

You can stop a fire by removing its fuel：

●Remove things that might burn from the path of a fire. But do this only if it is safe and the fire is small！

●Turn off the gas supply.

Cut off a fires supply：

●Shut the door to a room with a fire.

●Use a wet blanket （毯子） to cover a small fire.

Never try to stop a fire unless you have called the emergency services first！ Do not risk （冒險） your own safety to fight a fire！

（本刊資料）