Here are some safety tips to protect yourself from highrise fires

Ottawa Fire Services says last week was busy, noting that crews battled eight fires since Monday.

Two of the fires were at a highrise at 1244 Donald St. in the Overbrook neighbourhood. The first sent two children and a woman to hospital in critical condition. It was deemed suspicious. The second broke out in a bedroom less than 48 hours after the first fire. It resulted in a minor injury.

Firefighters shared some tips with highrise residents in a post on X Sunday.

Crews note that there are three important steps to keep in mind: Learn what to do in case of a fire, familiarize yourself with the fire safety features and know the exit locations.

Fire inside your apartment

Firefighters say if there is a fire in your apartment, you should tell everyone inside to leave and then close the doors behind you. Second, you should activate the fire alarm in the hallway on your floor and yell “Fire.” Then you should exit the building using the nearest stairway. Once outside, firefighters want you to call 911 and to tell firefighters what happened and where the fire is when they arrive on scene.

Should you stay inside or should you leave?

Firefighters say the best thing to do is to leave the building as soon as possible.

"But in some cases, you may not be able to leave and you may have to stay in your apartment," reads the post. "Whether you decide to stay or go, you must act quickly and protect yourself from smoke."

What should you do when you hear the fire alarm?

• Firefighters say you should feel the door to your unit to determine whether it’s hot or not. If it’s hot, you need to choose another way out.
• You should not use the elevator.
• If there’s smoke in the stairway, firefighters want you to take another stairway, before it’s too late. And if this is not option, you should go back to your unit or seek shelter in another unit.
• Listen carefully to any announcements inside the building, and follow them.
• Call 911 and let them know about you.

What should you do if you can’t leave your apartment?

• You should stay inside until you get rescued, crews say noting that this might take a long time.
• You should not leave your apartment a long time after the alarm has sounded.
• Keep smoke from entering your apartment. This can be done by using a duct tape to seal cracks around your doors.

What should you do if smoke enters your apartment?

• Move to the balcony, then call 911 and tell them where you are.
• Go to the most smoke free room if you don’t have a balcony and open the windows for fresh air, if necessary, firefighters say.
• Stay low to the floor where the air is cleaner.
• Follow firefighters’ instructions.