If you suddenly get into a street brawl using incendiary mixtures, your chances of surviving and not getting serious burns strongly depend on what exactly you will do. Maybe some of this knowledge will break through the panic and help you escape or save your burning friend.
To begin with, let's figure out what a Molotov cocktail is.
The recipe is different, but the main component is traditionally gasoline, which is mixed in different proportions with oil, ethyl alcohol, kerosene, acetone and other combustible substances. All this is poured into a bottle with a fuse sticking out of the neck.
So, if this bottle broke next to you and the flame spread to your clothes, remember a few moments.
Even the prospect of experiencing the power and effectiveness of this weapon scares the hell out of you — to burn alive and have no way to shake off the flames. Therefore, the advice sounds strange, but the main thing to remember is that quick and correct actions will help you not only survive, but also practically not get damage to your health . It's worth trying for this.
As we said above, gasoline is included in the composition of the Molotov cocktail, and everyone probably remembers about the effectiveness of extinguishing it with water from the school OBZH course. Burning gasoline will only spread faster, and the affected area will increase.
Instead of water, it can be extinguished with everything that blocks the access of oxygen necessary for gorenje — sand, earth, snow, dense natural fabric (tarpaulin, for example). If by a lucky chance there is a fire extinguisher nearby — just fine, use it. Just be careful — a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher can damage the tissues of the body, and if they are also burned before that…
If your hand catches fire, throw a natural cloth over it as soon as possible, because synthetic can melt and stick to the burned hand. Do not wave your hand — the influx of oxygen will make the fire burn with a vengeance.
If you catch fire, it's useless to run — oxygen will only support gorenje and will not help to bring down the flame in any way. In addition, if you are in an upright position, the fire will reach your head faster, and it is most often not protected by clothing. The result is a disfigured face and loss of vision.
When your clothes have just caught fire, you can try to get rid of it quickly, for example, to throw off a burning hat or jacket. Well, if the fire has already spread to a large area, fall to the ground and roll — so you will block access to oxygen and knock down the flame. Be sure to close your eyes with your hands so as not to lose sight. If someone finds a chemical fire extinguisher, this action will once again help you avoid blindness.
If you are still able to shout something, then instead of "Help!" you can shout guides for the people around you, for example, tell them to throw earth or sand at you, cover with a natural cloth. But this, of course, is aerobatics and iron self-control.
If a burning man runs past you, remembering the last point, it is necessary to stop him. Of course, words are unlikely to help here, so knock him down and cover him with clothes on top. If it is long enough to cover the entire burning area and not synthetic, it will most likely help.
In addition, clothes can be extinguished with water — gasoline has already burned out, and if there is a water source nearby, it will be very useful. After it was possible to extinguish the person, it's time to call a doctor. Timely help can save lives even with a large area of burns. The main thing is not to hysterically shout "Doctor!", but calmly call or ask someone to call.
