Use water or blanket
You can effectively extinguish a fire in clothes by rolling the person in a woollen blanket, thick piece of clothing or a fire blanket. You can also use water as an extinguishing agent.
Never use acrylic blankets for firefighting – this can make the situation worse, and lead to large and deep burns.
Protect your face
The fire spreads upwards, therefore it is important to get down to protect your face. The best thing to do is to lie down and roll around until the flames go out.
First aid for the treatment of burns:
- Stay calm.
- Rinse the burn immediately with lukewarm (20 degrees), running water for at least 20 minutes.
- The skin on the burned area can swell, so take off tight belts, bands, jewellery and the like in the area.
- If burnt laundry is stuck to the skin, do not try to remove it yourself.
- Cover the burned area with clean cloth, such as bandages or cotton linens, to keep the area clean and avoid infections until the injury can be treated by a doctor.
- Remember that large and deep burns should always be treated by a doctor.