'This Is Us' Could Get You Killed

The death of Jack Pearson on 'This Is Us' left CNY fans of the show devastated, but did the episode also give fans of the show a bad example to follow in case of a fire?

The fire that claimed the life of the Pearson family patriarch was started by a faulty switch on a crockpot. The situation was made exponentially worse by smoke detectors that were missing their batteries. After discovering the blaze, Jack Pearson rescues his family but then returns to the house to save the family dog and keepsakes.

Keep in mind that smoke from a fire will actually be thick, black, and toxic. Jimmy Mullins, a 22-year veteran of the NYC Fire Department, says that there would never be time to gather all the items like Jack Pearson did in a real fire, and the visibility would be nearly non-existent at that point in the blaze. Jimmy told us "it would be pitch black, and you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Without equipment, one breath, and you would be unconscious." And what about the items Pearson went back into the house to save? "Yeah, (in the extreme heat) they would melt, so it's not worth it."

While Jack's actions made for good television, they're not a good example to follow in case of an actual fire.

According to the Red Cross, it's critical to have working smoke detectors throughout your home - and to test the batteries regularly.

Ultimately, smoke inhalation led to the Jack Pearson's death - caused by returning to the home after his family was rescued.

The Red Cross says this was a mistake.

In case of a fire, GET OUT, STAY OUT and CALL 9-1-1 or your local emergency phone number.

'This Is Us' is a great television show, but a poor example of fire safety.