In the event of clothing on fire, which action should be taken first?

• A. Run to the safety shower
• B. Stop, drop, and roll
• C. Wrap in a fire blanket
• D. Call for help

Answer: (B)

When clothing is on fire, the immediate goal is to extinguish the flames as quickly as possible by cutting off the flame’s supply of oxygen. Stop, drop, and roll achieves this in a single, rapid sequence: you stop moving so you don’t fan the fire, drop to the ground to keep flames from rising higher, and roll to smother the fire with your body and clothing against the ground. This method rapidly reduces the heat and prevents the fire from spreading.

Running to a safety shower or wrapping in a fire blanket can be helpful, but they take time and may not extinguish the flames as quickly as rolling does in that moment. Calling for help is important too, but the flames must be addressed right away. After the flames are out, seek medical attention for any burns and cool the affected skin with water.