fire escape

American  

noun

1. an apparatus or structure used to escape from a burning building, as a metal stairway down an outside wall.

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fire escape British  

noun

1. a means of evacuating people from a building in the event of fire, esp a metal staircase outside the building

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Etymology

Origin of fire escape

First recorded in 1670–80

Example Sentences

Ms Galt, from Folkestone in Kent, said she had feared she was going to die inside the property as it lacked fire alarms and fire doors, while her bedroom did not have a fire escape.

From BBC • Dec. 13, 2024

When one supportive community member played chants from a speaker in his apartment window, an officer scaled the building’s fire escape to tell him to stop, video of the incident shows.

From Seattle Times • May 22, 2024

"As I got to the door, there was a little fire escape and some England fan shouted: 'Warburton it was a red card.' That was massive motivation for me. That one little moment."

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2024

Specifically, they allege that it lacked a fire escape, smoke detectors and other fire safety features.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 5, 2024

The tree whose leaf umbrellas had curled around, under and over her fire escape had been cut down because the housewives complained that wash on the lines got entangled in its branches.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith