A LOW-COST FIRE ESCAPE

Take advantage of a lazy summer afternoon to make this easy-to-build ladder that could save lives.

May/June 1981
 
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share

Take advantage of a lazy summer afternoon to make this easy-to-build ladder.

RELATED CONTENT

by Glenn Jacobs

When I first moved my family to Poverty Flat, Arizona, we had to convert the attic of our small house into two little rooms for our children. After flooring and insulating the area, however, I realized that the stairway provided the only exit from either of the cubicles . . . and that—should we have a fire—an alternate escape route might well be needed.

At first I put together simple drop ladders made from clothesline wire, but they were difficult to climb and tended to tangle when used. However, my new fire escapes (there's one outside of each bedroom, accessible by means of a hinged window) are constructed from lengths of 1-1/2" dowel, chain, and heavy steel wire. They can be hung under the house's eaves when not in use, and dropped in half a second . . . even by a sleepy youngster working in pitch darknessl

And I haven't had any trouble getting the children to practice using their escape routes, either. In fact—even after three years "fire drill" is among their favorite games!

Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

Comments

Add Your Comment

You can use this comment form to enter your personal experiences or additional information and resources that you'd like to share with Mother Earth News readers. Your helpful advice will be posted on this page.  E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Mother Earth News?
Sign up to share comments.
Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.
Name*
Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*
This will be your login ID.

City State Zip Code

Password*


Confirm Password*

Comments
(Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)
Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Subscribe Today - Pay Now & Save 66% Off the Cover Price

First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here

Lighten the Strain on the Earth and Your Budget

Mother Earth News is the guide to living — as one reader stated — “with little money and abundant happiness.” Every issue is an invaluable guide to leading a more sustainable life, covering ideas from fighting rising energy costs and protecting the environment to avoiding unnecessary spending on processed food. You’ll find tips for slashing heating bills; growing fresh, natural produce at home; and more. Mother Earth News helps you cut costs without sacrificing modern luxuries.

At Mother Earth News, we are dedicated to conserving our planet’s natural resources while helping you conserve your financial resources. That’s why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing through our Earth-Friendly automatic renewal savings plan. By paying with a credit card, you save an additional $4.95 and get 6 issues of Mother Earth News for only $10.00 (USA only).

You may also use the Bill Me option and pay $14.95 for 6 issues.