Fires are often preventable. And when they are not, these measures can make a difference between life and tragedy.

If you’re not sure exactly what to do if there’s fire in your home, you need to go through the home fire safety checklist, then follow these steps to make a good fire escape plan. You’ll also need to check the fire safety equipment in your home, including the fire extinguishers and smoke alarms. But remember – your goal is not to fight the fire, but to escape safely and alert the fire department.

Step 1: Make a fire escape plan
Draw a map of your home. Mark all the doors and windows and find 2 ways out of every room. Mark a place where your family will meet outside in case of a fire.

Step 2: Test your smoke alarms
Be sure you have a smoke alarm in every room, and that every smoke alarm is working.

Step 3: Clear the way
Make sure that you can easily get to an exit from any point in the house. If it could take more than 2-3 minutes to get out, you definitely need to clear the path. Move everything off of any stairs and make sure there is an easy path through every room.

Step 4: Walk through the plan
Go through the plan in detail with the whole family, especially children.

There are more important details and 2 more important steps at the Home Safety Council. If you have an escape plan or map drawn up, we would love to see it. Just send us an email or put a link in the comments if you’ve already posted it somewhere. You can also share your stories about fire drills – are there any difficulties that people should know about?