One of the best ways to protect yourself and your family is to have a working smoke alarm that can sound fast for both a fire that has flames, and a smoky fire that has fumes without flames. It is called a "Dual Sensor Smoke Alarm." A smoke alarm greatly reduces your chances of dying in a fire.

Know your local emergency numbers. In most areas the number is 911.

• Practice finding your way out of the house with your eyes closed, crawling or staying low to the ground, and feeling your way out of the house.

• Never open doors that are hot.

• Teach your family to stop, drop to the ground, and roll if their clothes catch fire.

• Decide on a meeting place outside your home and check to see if anyone is missing. Everyone must get out and stay out of the house or apartment.

• Remember to escape first, and then call the fire department.

• Make sure everyone in your family knows at least two ways to escape from each room in the house or apartment.

• Help children and senior citizens to escape from a fire.

• NEVER go back into a fire once you have escaped.