Did you know that if you were to be injured in a fire, it's most likely to happen in your own home? It's true.

It's very important that each family member learn what to do in the event of a fire in the home. Unless it is a small fire that can easily be put out with a fire extinguisher, experts say call in the professionals. It's best to let firefighters fight the fire. Don't spend time trying to put a fire out, when you should be concentrating on making sure you and your family get out quickly and safely. If it is clear the fire can spread, dial 9-1-1 and evacuate the building immediately.

A home escape plan must be created and practiced so that each person knows exactly what to do.

Most residential fires occur between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. Deaths from residential fires occur in greater numbers between midnight and 4 a.m. when most people are asleep. An average of 800 fires strike residential buildings each day in the United States. More than 6,500 persons die each year from fire - more than half of them children and senior citizens. The majority of these deaths are in residential fires. These statistic show that having a family escape plan, and practicing that plan is vital to keeping you and your family safe.

Even if the fire isn't large, there is a good chance the entire home can fill with smoke. The heat and gas associated with smoke can kill you far more quickly than the actual flames. Smoke effects visibility. You or those you live with may not be able to see. Smoke and toxic gases may cause dizziness and disorientation. In the confusion, you can easily become lost or trapped in your home. Family members must understand that their safety depends on knowing how to quickly leave the home, and where to meet outside of the home, once they escape.

Here are some important tips associated with evacuating your home in the event of a fire:

Install Smoke Alarms

The first step in escaping a fire in the home is to plan ahead. By installing smoke detectors in the home and being sure they are in good working order, family members can be alerted to the presence of smoke or fire before it is too late. Change the batteries in your smoke detectors twice a year when you change the clocks - Spring Ahead, Fall Back. [ Learn More ]

Keep Doors Closed at Night

Bedroom doors should be closed while people are sleeping. It takes fire 10 to 15 minutes to burn through a wooden door. That's 10 to 15 minutes more for you and your family to escape. Next, everyone in your household should visit each bedroom and figure out two escape routes -

• The normal exit
• The other exit through a door or a window

Plan an Escape Route

Each member of your family should know how to get safely outside via a minimum of two routes. Family members should practice opening their windows to become familiar with their operation. Jammed windows should be identified and repaired. If, during a fire, a window is jammed, it may be broken out with an object and a blanket or towel placed over the frame to cover shards of glass. However, it is much safer to open a window than it is to break the glass out. If you live in an area of the city where bars over windows are used for security purposes, know how to use the emergency release and practice it.

Realize the Danger of Smoke

Each member of your family should understand the importance of crawling low under smoke. Firefighters call this "get low and go." Smoke and heat rise so the best place to find fresher, cooler air is near the floor. When a person is caught in a building filled with smoke, they should drop on hands and knees and crawl to the nearest exit. Test all closed doors before opening them. Feel the back of the door. If it is hot, don't open it. Turn around and go to the second route of exit. If the door is not hot, open slowly but be prepared to slam it closed again if there are flames.

Practice what to do if you become trapped in your house. Since doors hold back smoke and firefighters are adept at rescue, the prospect of survival is excellent. Close doors between you and the smoke. Stuff the cracks and cover vents to keep smoke out. If there's a phone, call in your exact location to the fire department even if they are on the scene. Use your mobile phone, or even send a text message or a twitter "tweet." Use whatever methods are available to you to let the outside world know you're in trouble and need help. Wait at the window and signal with a sheet or flashlight or something visible.

Establish a Safe Meeting Place

A special meeting place should be established a safe distance from the house. It could be a mailbox, the neighbor's driveway or a large tree at the corner of your street. Whatever it is, it must be something that is stationary and won't be moved (such as a car). This is where everyone meets in the event of a fire. It also prevents family members from wandering around the neighborhood looking for one another, or worse, being tempted to re-enter the burning house for someone thought to be trapped inside.

Once outside at the special meeting place, a person can be sent to the neighbor's to call 9-1-1. If anyone is missing, give that information to the fire department immediately and tell them where the probable location of the missing person could be. Under no circumstances should anyone re-enter the burning building.

Practice Your Fire Escape Plan

One very good step in the planning of a home fire escape plan is to make a floor diagram of the house. Mark the regular and emergency escape routes, as well as windows, doors, stairs, halls.

A good way to practice the effectiveness of a home fire escape plan is to position each family member in his or her bed, turn all the lights off, and activate the smoke detector by depressing the test switch. Each family member should help "awaken" the others by yelling the alert. Family members should exit their rooms according to the plan, crawl low under smoke, practice feeling doors for heat, and meet in the designated location outside the home.

Not all "homes" are single residential structures but include apartments and other types of buildings. Some additional discussion may be helpful in the home escape plan.

Most high-rise or multi-story apartment complexes post fire escape plans for all residents to see and follow. However, these plans seldom include escape routes for each apartment. Family members must develop and practice an evacuation plan for their individual apartment.

Exit Safely From a Structure

Jumping from upper floors of a building should be your last alternative. However, it is possible to hang from a second story window and drop feet first to the ground without significant injury. A sprained ankle or broken leg is better than staying in a burning building. Home owners can purchase fire ladders for second-floor bedrooms, or instruct children to use an adjacent porch or garage roof to await rescue by the fire department.

When exiting such a multi-story structure, do not use the elevator. Elevators often stop working in the event of a fire, trapping people inside. The result can be deadly. A power failure may cause them to stop in between floors as well. Use the fire escape or an enclosed fire resistive stairwell to exit a high-rise building.

As a family, explore the building you live in, so that every exit is familiar, including those from storage, laundry and recreation rooms. If the hallways become smoke-filled as the result of a fire, memory can help in finding the exits. Practicing emergency escape plans is crucial to helping you and your family remain calm and confident during an actual emergency.