By LEONARD GRAY

BOUTTE – It is a scary thought – a family asleep when a fire breaks out. The Luling Volunteer Fire Department has a new tool, though. It is a trailer, the interior of which is a mock-up house, designed to teach people how to react safely in a variety of emergencies.

It’s called the “Fire Safety House,” and the $30,000 trailer is easily mobile to take fire safety tips anywhere.

Fire Prevention Officer Craig Petit hosted visitors to the safety trailer at Wal-Mart Saturday, teaching all comers about how to safeguard children in a fire, plus other useful information about avoiding kitchen fires and severe storm safety. Petit explained the trailer includes a mock-up kitchen and a tiny bedroom, both with heat elements to simulate fire situations. In the bedroom, for instance, piped-in non-toxic smoke billows into the room and a smoke alarm goes off.

A child is taught to press a hand against the door to see if the room outside is on fire. If the door is hot, the child exits through a window onto a balcony and down a fire escape ladder.

The main room also includes bleachers, where up to 20 children or 10 adults can sit and watch Petit explain kitchen safety (such as how to place a pot on a stove so as to avoid knocking it and also how to put out a grease fire) and watch a “Weather-Smart” videotape on hurricane procedures.

The videotape opens with Regis Philbin hosting a game show, which is interrupted by a weather bulletin about oncoming “Hurricane Florence,” packing 150 mph winds.

At that point, the lights flicker and a hidden system pipes in thunder crashes and vibrates the trailer, simulating the “house” being rocked by high winds. Children including Albert Brand, 8, and Salena Champagne, 9, of Luling, likewise enjoyed the facility, following instructions on exiting a burning house.

Financing the purchase of the education trailer came partially through $4,000 in funds raised by local Wal-Mart employees, said Earl Cooney, co-manager of the Boutte store.

“We have a great partnership with the fire department,” Cooney said. “If it saves one person’s life, it’s worth it.”