Second grade students at Lynch Elementary School lined up to attend a fire prevention and safety event on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
Second grade students check out a fire truck during a fire prevention and safety event at Ann T Lynch Elementary School on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
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Second grade students, incuding Luis Melendez, check out a fire truck during a fire prevention and safety event at Ann T Lynch Elementary School on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
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Armando Cendejas is assisted by a Clark County firefighter as he practices escaping through a window during a fire prevention and safety event at Ann T Lynch Elementary School on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
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Second grade students listen as Clark County firefighters talk about the importance of fire safety and what to do in case of a fire during a fire prevention and safety event at Ann T Lynch Elementary School on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
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Clark County firefighter Steven Dieter demonstrates how to extinguish a grease fire to second grade students during a fire prevention and safety event at Ann T Lynch Elementary School on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
Clark County firefighter Matthew Teasley watches as second grade students lined up to check out a fire truck during a fire prevention and safety event at Ann T Lynch Elementary School on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
Smoke billowed from beneath the only door into a bedroom with eight elementary school students inside.
Firefighters advised the children to crawl beneath the simulated smoke and make their way out of a window to avoid the fire on the other side of the door. The children escaped down a ladder outside.
More than 300 first- through third-graders at Lynch Elementary got a hands-on safety lesson Sept. 20, exploring a mobile two-story fire simulation house in the school’s parking lot and meeting with about a dozen visiting firefighters. Students also toured a fire engine and learned about the gear firefighters use — and got replica fire helmets they could keep.
It’s important that children learn early what to do in case of fire, Clark County Fire Department Capt. Jason Montenegro said.
“If … someone comes in with all of the stuff that we (wear), it can actually look pretty scary, so we try to familiarize them with our gear …” he said.
Some students said they hoped to become firefighters.
Second-grader Sergio Aleman, 7, said he wanted to learn how to rescue those in need.
“I like to help people,” he said.
Some students took away valuable lessons.
“Do not touch fire, because it burns,” second grader Kyra Muratalla, 7, said.
The event was part of The Hartford Financial Services Group’s Junior Fire Marshal Program. The Hartford donated $30,000 each toward the School District and Fire Department to be used for fire safety education, according to the company.
