Heating units are the leading cause of home fires, according to the National Safety Council's publication Fire Safety at Home. Cooking fires rank second. Defective appliances, overloaded circuits and improperly stored or handled flammable liquids also cause a number of fires. And careless smokers still account for the most deaths from fires in the home. For all these reasons, it's important that you and all members of your family know what to if a fire occurs.
Doors can hold back smoke and fire and allow more time to escape.
If a fire alarm or smoke detector sounds, roll out of bed. If there's smoke in the room, get on the floor and make your way to the door. Use the back of you hand to feel for heat on the highest point of the door you can reach. If the door feels cool, open it just a crack to check for smoke. If there is none, leave the house by your usual route.