What should you do to protect your family from a house fire?

A small fire can get out of control in less than a minute if not extinguished rapidly.

Most victims of fires succumb as much from asphyxiation as from burns.

People unwittingly feed fires by keeping all sorts of flammable clutter around the house.

A plan of action made before a fire occurs will greatly increase the chances for survival.

Joe Alton is a physician, disaster preparedness advocate, and NY Times bestselling author of The Survival Medicine Handbook : The Essential Guide For When Help Is NOT On The Way .

Alton: Despite the horrific nature of house fires, many deaths and injuries are preventable with a little planning.