How to Make a Fire Escape Route for Your Home

Draw a map of your house. If you have a computer-aided drawing program or software that lets you easily create a simple blueprint of your home, you can use that. If you do not, grab paper and pencil and draw a map of your house that includes every room. It doesn't have to be to scale, but it should accurately show all doors, windows and stairs. Consider using graph paper to help with your drawing.

Walk through the house and take note of any obstructions, doors and fire hazards. You can plan routes away from the hazards, but the smarter plan is to deal with the hazards and remove anything obstructing an exit.

Mark places of egress in every room. On your map, mark windows, doors, stairs, porches and balconies. Check each exit and make sure you can open it. Make sure older windows aren't painted shut or jammed close.

Identify at least two routes from every room to the outside. Draw at least two exits from every room to the outside. Find the shortest route possible to an exit. This may mean breaking a window or exiting through a little-used door.

Make plans for rescuing anyone who needs help. If there is an infant in the house or someone who has a mobility impairment, you need to make a plan for getting that person out of the house. Plan the route the designated person will take to help that person exit the house.

Identify a place where everyone in the family can meet outside. Designate a spot where everyone will meet in the event of a fire. This helps you make sure that everyone has made it out of the house and can prevent a potentially tragic rescue attempt for someone who is already out of the house. Call the fire department from a neighbor's home or a cell phone after you have left the house.