In the extreme cold, what happens if you need to escape a house fire but outside can kill you almost as fast as a house fire can?

“If you can grab a jacket on the way out, definitely grab a jacket, but your life is more important and we’ll be there soon as long as 9-1-1 is called immediately,” said Career Firefighter Marc Schweitzer. “We have a temporary plan in place to house someone for the meantime to warm them up when it’s cold like this.”

He said Weyburn Fire Services does have a rehabilitation bus for temporary use.

“Hopefully people know their neighbours and family around town so they don’t have to stand in our rehab bus for too long,” he added, noting a backup plan for long term should involve a hotel or somewhere else to stay.

According to Schweitzer, smoke will kill you before the fire will.

“When we talk to the public, we always say have two ways out and always have a muster point,” he advised. “It doesn’t matter if you go out the back, the front, or a window, everybody meets at one place, just for accountability purposes. Then decide where to go from there, somewhere beyond the muster point to go to.”

Every household should devise a fire escape plan that includes more than one escape route. Keeping bedroom slippers or shoes, as well as a robe in each of the bedrooms in case of a fire at night can help protect the feet from the frozen ground.