When your clothes catch fire, your brain is going to scream at you to run. Don’t. Running fans the flames by pushing fresh air across them, which gives the fire more oxygen and makes it burn bigger and faster. The Grapevine, TX Fire Department puts it plainly: the one thing you should never do is run.
Instead, do three things: Stop where you are. Drop to the ground. Roll over and over across the flames. Rolling smothers the fire by cutting off its oxygen supply — and fire literally cannot survive without oxygen. The U.S. National Park Service explains it simply: fire needs heat, fuel, and oxygen to exist. Take away one of those three things, and the fire goes out. Rolling is how you take away the oxygen.
As you drop, cover your face with your hands. This protects your face and airways while you roll. Then roll over and over until the flames are completely out. That’s it — Stop, Drop, and Roll. Three steps that are easy to remember and could save your life or someone else’s.
If someone near you catches fire and they’re panicking or frozen, you may need to help them. The Salina, Kansas Fire Department notes that if someone else’s clothes catch fire, you may have to step in and assist. Don’t let them run either.
The most important thing: this only works if you do it immediately, without hesitation. There’s no time to think. The moment you feel fire on your clothes, stop moving forward, get low, and roll.