But most of the things we know about fire apply to controlled situations like fires in the fireplace, bonfires and campfires. What people don't know about fire is usually what kills them when they are faced with a fire in their house. If a person wakes up to a fire and tries to sit up or stand, they will most likely die before they can even get out of bed. Smoke usually kills people before fire gets to them. Items like shower curtains, carpets, fabrics, and mattress stuffing are made with chemicals that, when burned, fill a house with toxic fumes.
Victims often die before any heat or visible smoke ever reaches their bedrooms.
They never even knew there was a fire. The smoke in a house fire is thick and black. Imagine crawling through your house with a blindfold on. All you can hear is the deafening roar of the fire, aerosol cans exploding and glass shattering. The floor is covered in broken glass from lightbulbs overhead that burst from the heat and it cuts your hands as you feel your way to an exit, trying to find cleaner air near the floor.