{"id":503880,"date":"2022-05-23T16:45:45","date_gmt":"2022-05-23T20:45:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firefighternow.com\/?p=503880"},"modified":"2022-08-22T16:47:04","modified_gmt":"2022-08-22T20:47:04","slug":"can-you-really-survive-a-fire-in-a-pool","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/firefighternow.com\/can-you-really-survive-a-fire-in-a-pool\/","title":{"rendered":"Can You REALLY Survive A Fire In A Pool?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You\u2019re one of those people who always likes to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. Even if it never comes to fruition, you\u2019re of the opinion that it doesn\u2019t hurt to know what you would do. Keeping that in mind, could you survive a fire in a pool?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You can survive a fire by jumping into a pool, as water cannot catch on fire since it\u2019s not flammable. In a cold pool, you\u2019d want to gather near others to generate body heat. You\u2019d also want to stay nearer the center of the pool to avoid falling debris and actively burning objects.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we\u2019ll talk about whether being in a swimming pool when there\u2019s an active fire in the vicinity is the best option. If you ever find yourself in a unique scenario such as this, then the pointers in this article could help you someday. Keep reading! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note: It is always best to contact 911 in the event of an emergency and evacuate the area as quickly and safely as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can You Survive a Fire in a Pool?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Imagine this scenario. Your home is engulfed in flame. Perhaps a wildfire has broken out in your neighborhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You didn\u2019t have time to evacuate. Rescue services cannot reach you right now because the fire is still burning, and quite fervently at that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re outside of your home, but you\u2019re not sure where to go. It doesn\u2019t seem safe to drive off, especially if you\u2019re in the vicinity of a wildfire. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a pool in your backyard or your next-door neighbor\u2019s backyard. Could jumping in save your life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Possibly, yes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Los Angeles Times<\/em><\/a> <\/em>article from 2017 reported on this very specific scenario. John and Jane Pascoe of Santa Rosa, California were watching as their home and the adjacent homes in their area caught on fire. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They decided to jump into their neighbor\u2019s pool, where they stayed for six hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t just the act of jumping in the pool alone that saved John and Jane. It was how they handled the entire situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For example, they had the foresight to cuddle together to stay warm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, they weren\u2019t holding one another, which would have prevented one of them from seeing incoming perils such as falling debris. Instead, they stood back to back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also wore their shirts over their faces so they weren\u2019t breathing in too much smoke nor getting too close to the embers that were landing on the surface of the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then they waited. As we mentioned, John and Jane were in the pool for six hours. The air temperature a cold 55 degrees Fahrenheit, and the water temperature could have been lower than that even with the flames about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not helping matters was that both John and Jane were half-naked, as they had used their own clothing to protect themselves, as we mentioned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the worst of the firestorm had passed, the two got out of the pool. They survived due to their quick thinking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, while this is an extraordinary story with a happy ending, we must note that several factors worked out in John and Jane\u2019s favor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n