Two Houston area residents were critically burned in a house fire in Willis, Texas.
North Montgomery County Fire Department responded early this morning to a house fire that destroyed their home.
The couple had escaped the fire shortly before the fire department arrived. Neighbors rescued the couple by dragging them to safety. The home had bars inside the door of the home which made battling the blaze more difficult for firefighters.
One of the victims was flown to UTMB Galveston and the other to Memorial Herman Hospital in Houston.
I have seen first hand the trauma that burn victims go through trying to get something of their life back after a severe burn injury the medical costs alone of third degree burns can be staggering. My heart goes out to the couple and I hope that their recovery goes well.
According to FEMA, more than 4000 Americans die and 25,000 are injured each year in fires.
Heat and smoke from fire can be more dangerous than the flames. Inhaling the super-hot air can sear your lungs. Fire produces poisonous gases that make you disoriented and drowsy. Instead of being awakened by a fire, you may fall into a deeper sleep. Asphyxiation is the leading cause of fire deaths, exceeding burns by a three-to-one ratio.
FEMA also offers the following safety tips about what to do during a fire.
If your clothes catch on fire, you should:
- Stop, drop, and roll – until the fire is extinguished. Running only makes the fire burn faster.
To escape a fire, you should:
- Check closed doors for heat before you open them. If you are escaping through a closed door, use the back of your hand to feel the top of the door, the doorknob, and the crack between the door and door frame before you open it. Never use the palm of your hand or fingers to test for heat – burning those areas could impair your ability to escape a fire (i.e., ladders and crawling).
- Crawl low under any smoke to your exit – heavy smoke and poisonous gases collect first along the ceiling.
- Close doors behind you as you escape to delay the spread of the fire.
- Stay out once you are safely out. Do not reenter. Call 9-1-1.
Also, continually check all smoke detectors to insure the batteries are good and that the smoke detector works properly. A smoke detector is your first line of defense for a house or apartment fire.
If you or a family member have been the victim of a burn injury and would like to consult a Houston burn injury lawyer call the Baumgartner Firm.
