Back to school season brings another opportunity to ensure your home and family are prepared in the case of a fire.

According to the UL Fire Safety Research Institute, fires spread much faster than they used to. Due to homes having more synthetic materials inside, the average time a person has to escape a home fire is as low as three minutes. Having everyone in your family knowledgeable about what to do in case of fires is as critical as ever. The UL Fire Safety Research Institute also says a closed door can contain the temperature, lower carbon monoxide levels, and slow the fire from spreading.

Ainsworth Fire Chief Waylon Schultz recommends closing each bedroom door at night and when out of the house. Schultz says it seems unorthodox, but he’s seen it help in action, “We did have a fire in Riverside. The homeowner was away and out of town but had all of his doors shut, and it really did keep the fire spread from going throughout the house. It pretty much contained the fire to just that one room and then the rest of the house just had some smoke damage. It’s kind of unbelievable to us how it held that much fire inside that room without spreading to the rest of the house. It was pretty impressive.”

It’s also vital to have working smoke detectors. They should be tested and inspected monthly.