Forum: Flee carpark fire first and worry about vehicle later
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When there’s a fire in the home or in the office, one doesn’t think of fleeing with anything but one’s life. Similarly, when a fire happens in a carpark, the last thing on our minds should be to drive out of the burning building in our cars ( Do more to ensure vehicles can leave carpark quickly during fire,
Electrical systems can fail, barriers will not work, vision is poor, drivers become irrational and panic can increase desperation.
Other than being burned alive, being caught in a jam in a burning carpark brings with it the immense risk and danger of fume and smoke inhalation. This kills more people than burns in fires.
Smoke inhalation and oxygen deprivation cause so much disorientation that if one doesn’t flee immediately, the risk of making erroneous life-saving decisions rises significantly.
Covering our airways with a damp cloth and then heading for the nearest stairway exit is the most sensible way to escape from a fire in any carpark.
Assets are recoverable through insurance and are secondary to the preservation of life.
Yik Keng Yeong (Dr)
