Here's why according to firefighters you should always sleep with the bedroom door closed

by Shirley Marie Bradby

November 11, 2018

Here's why according to firefighters you should always sleep with the bedroom door closed
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In the evening, when you go to sleep, do you usually leave your bedroom door open or closed?

This is the question that firefighters often ask when they want to educate citizens about the precautionary measures to be taken against fires. The most correct way is the second. In fact, sleeping with your bedroom doors closed can be vital in case of a home fire.

Moreover, keeping all the bedroom doors well closed provides various advantages and can make all the difference in case of an emergency.

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Over the years, in addition to building materials, the materials with which the objects are made have also changed a lot and this has led to an increase in synthetic products, particularly inflammable ones, in our homes.

This change, as shown by the experiments conducted by firefighters, has greatly reduced the time that the occupants have available to leave their house or apartment safe and sound. What are the remedies?

First of all, obviously fire alarm devices, which must be kept in good condition and checked periodically; and then information, that is to say, the knowledge of safety precautions and maneuvers to save oneself in an emergency. Among these is the practice of closing the bedroom door at night.

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bartlettfire/Instagram

bartlettfire/Instagram

In the previous photo and in the following you can see two very similar rooms (created specifically for this demonstration), which were besieged by a fire in the living room.

The first, which had the bedroom door closed, remained practically unharmed; but the second bedroom, with the door open, has suffered various consequences.

The most obvious is the amount of toxic smoke that entered the room and discolored the walls. What would have happened if there had been a person sleeping in the bed and they had inhaled that smoke?

bartlettfire/Instagram

bartlettfire/Instagram

The practice of keeping the bedroom doors closed during the night has several advantages. Firstly, it does not allow the fire to spread as quickly since it reduces the amount of available oxygen.

In addition, a closed bedroom door also prevents a sleeping person from being poisoned by toxic smoke, so they can remain conscious and able to seek help.

Finally, of course, bedroom doors function like a firewall, that literally offer shelter from the fire, because before entering the bedroom the flames must first consume the doors, which gives a person some extra time to get to safety.

In short, many people mistakenly believe that leaving the doors open makes it easier for them to escape, but this is an incorrect assumption. In fact, flames feed on oxygen and open spaces, so "shutting them out" of the bedroom can really save our lives.

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