Quick!

The house is on fire. Smoke is starting to billow. Flames are licking at the kitchen cabinets.

What would you grab -- assuming you had time to grab anything besides the kids and Fido?

Fires can spread so quickly, there may be no time to flee with anything but the clothing you're wearing.

And even in cases where people have a few hours to gather possessions, they can carry only so much out. What's it gonna be?

For most people, insurance companies say, it's family photos, keepsakes and important documents. Yet few people do much to protect these prized possessions. Sure, they might give it a passing thought when they hear about a fire, but then they forget about it -- sometimes with dire consequences.

"People think it will never happen to them," says Chris Hundson, spokesman for State Farm Insurance in Colorado.

Saving photos and documents from fire might involve something as simple as keeping copies with friends or relatives, or stashing the originals in a safe-deposit box. (More detailed tips are given below.)

But keeping important items together in your house to grab during a fire is not the wisest move.

"You don't know exactly where a fire is going to break out, so where would you put the items you would want to take with you?" says Lorraine Carli, spokeswoman for the National Fire Protection Association.

More important, she and other experts say, is fire prevention.

"You don't want to know how many times I have to point out circuit overloads, frayed cords, bad extension cords," says Everett Griggs, owner of El Paso County Electrical, who is often called to repair homes damaged by fire.

Carli says there are important questions to ask yourself: Do you have an early detection system in place? Do you have insurance? Do you have backups of important documents somewhere other than where you live?

Take whatever precautions you can. And if you still end up having to flee with just the clothing on your back, as one of Griggs' friends did in the Castle West fire, just do it. At least you'll have escaped with your life.

"Nothing is as precious," Griggs says.

Here are some tips from fire-safety experts on how to save yourself and your valuables. Advance planning is the key in many cases.

Getting out

• Have a fire escape plan. While schools and workplaces have fire drills, most homeowners don't think about it.

Draw a floor plan on paper. Diagram two escape routes out of every room possible, including out the windows -- even on upper-story floors. Practice your escape routes twice a year.

• Keep your escape routes clear of clutter and heavy furniture.

• If you can't climb out safely, buy noncombustible escape ladders. Store additional ladders next to basement window wells that are too tall to climb.

• Decide on a meeting place outside that all family members know about, so you can count heads.

Equipment list

• Fire extinguisher. Know how to use it. But call the fire department and get everyone out of the house before using it.

• Extinguishers are good only for small, contained fires, such as in a wastebasket. And be careful because they can actually cause a fire to spread - say, if you try to put out a pan fire, the splatter can ignite nearby cabinets.

• Fire detectors. Check batteries once a month. Change batteries at least twice a year. Detectors wear out. Get a new one about every 10 years - sooner if necessary.

• Automatic sprinkler systems are gaining in popularity. If you are building a new home, have them installed. They are now made to go on only in the area of the fire so water doesn't flood your house.

BY CAROL MCGRAW

McClatchy Newspapers