Pets are often considered part of the family, but their safety can sometimes be overlooked in emergency planning. As a pet owner, ensuring the safety of your pets during a fire is crucial.
Potential fire dangers for pets
According to FireRescue1, there are many hazards that can impact pets and they should be considered when making emergency plans related to fires in the home. Hazards include:
—Smoke inhalation: pets are as susceptible as humans to the dangers of smoke inhalation, which can cause severe lung damage and can be more fatal to pets than flames themselves. Pets with shorter faces, like bulldogs and Persian cats, are particularly at risk due to their breathing difficulties;
—Heat and flames: pets often hide in nooks and crannies where they feel safe. During a fire, these places can become death traps. Flames can not only burn them, but also cause super-heated air to damage their respiratory system; and
—Toxic fumes: the burning of certain common household items like plastic a...