A firefighter’s video revealing what can happen when you sleep with your bedroom door closed is going viral — and unlocking new fears in TikTokers.
First responder @smokemedic gained over 8 million views and 700,000 likes when he uploaded the shocking video to his TikTok account.
Now, much like the mom begging parents to check their homes for potentially lethal button batteries, this firefighter’s TikTok is urging families to put safety first in their homes.
Remember to close bedroom doors before sleeping for the night, it could make a big difference. #closebeforeyoudoze
In his now viral video, firefighter @smokemedic begins by filming a totally ordinary-looking bedroom. The bed is made, toys and clothes are put away, and nothing at all seems abnormal or dangerous.
But when the camera pans to the door and hallway, the true horror of the situation is revealed.
Beyond the bedroom door, the house has clearly been ravaged by a terrible fire. The only thing that saved the bedroom from suffering the same fate? The closed door.
“Remember to close bedroom doors before sleeping for the night, it could make a big difference. #closebeforeyoudoze,” the video’s caption reads.
Quoting from the Close Your Door safety campaign, @smokemedic urges viewers to “close before you doze.”
“Because of synthetic materials, furniture, and construction, fire spreads faster than ever before. Closing doors helps stop the spread of fire,” states Close Your Door. “Research proves a closed door can mean the difference between 1,000 degrees and 100 degrees in the event of a fire.”
In addition to sleeping with bedroom doors closed, families should do the following, the Red Cross urges:
Thousands of TikTokers expressed their shock in the comment section of @smokemedic‘s video.
“New fear unlocked,” one user wrote.
“We started doing this a few years ago after a friend showed me a safety video. all doors get shut now!” a user wrote.
“We sleep with doors closed and I have monitors in kids rooms. All our fire alarms are wired together so if one goes off they all do,” another user commented.
“Yup. Dad was a firefighter and would have a conniption if we didn’t have our doors closed,” wrote one user.
“Having my bedroom door closed saved my life. My whole apartment was engulfed in flames,” commented another user.
“I’ve had two house fires. this is absolutely true. this is also why i hate open floor plans,” shared one user.
“This and we have fire extinguishers in the bedrooms too,” a user wrote.
But some TikTokers expressed anxiety about sleeping with their doors closed.
“I can’t sleep w my door closed. I need to hear what’s happening in my home!” one user wrote.
“I always keep my door open. I’m afraid I won’t hear my kids being kidnapped,” another user shared.
However, safety experts urge parents to set aside these worries and close all bedroom doors before bedtime.
According to Close Your Door, 50% of house fires happen between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. “Closing your doors before you hit the hay helps keep you safe,” the campaign says.
To increase your family’s chances of survival in the case of a house fire, be sure to plan ahead — and always “close before you doze.”
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