Perhaps this disaster will make us think of how we would survive a fire in our home or another building. The first issue, as illustrated by this case, is that smoke inhalation may be a greater threat than the flames and/or heat. Because smoke initially rises, it is crucial to drop to the ground and crawl out of the building. There is never time for hesitation so thinking about 'what to do' in advance is an important safety aspect; in the home maybe we should all practice with our families as to how to get out and which route. A floor plan could be used and the fire shown in different places over a number of 'simulations' and with the occupants also in varying locations. The best routes out could be discussed amongst the family for each pairing. Other issues to discuss would include checking doors before opening (i.e. is it hot), not returning for ANYTHING (including the pet earthworm) and how to deal with smoke inhalation and/or burns. Could save some lives. Btw, I have installed 3 smoke detectors in my rented house but I am not sure if they are very common in The Philippines.