Misconceptions about human behaviour in fire situations abound. The New Zealand Fire Service is committed to dispelling myths about what people do in fire situations and promoting fire safety knowledge that equips people to manage their own fire risk and cope effectively with fire situations to minimise fire consequences.

Myth #1. People are irrational: Among the most prevalent and counter-productive myths about human behaviour is the notion of panic. When confronted with a serious fire threat people are often observed behaving in a constructive, rational or even altruistic manner. Emotional stress can compromise decision-making but will rarely override an individual's capacity to engage in rational behaviour. Many behaviours that appear inappropriate only seem that way because the observer possesses more information about the situation and is exposed to less risk.

Myth #2. People are capricious: People rarely harm one another or act in an aggressive or hostile fashion toward others in a fire situation. Indeed, quite the opposite appears to be true. People often seem to aid one another during fire situations, rendering assistance even under very difficult or dangerous situations. In fact, people will often come to the aid of people they don't know

Myth #3. People are unpredictable: Unlike many technological systems, most people do not perform according to well-defined routines. Indeed, people can behave in a manner that some people consider inconsistent with reason. Nevertheless, people often offer reasonable explanations for their behaviour when confronted with observations that their actions seem illogical. Who's right when someone survives a fire situation, but appears to have reacted in a manner different than someone else expected?

Myth #4. People are unreliable: Because the actions of individuals cannot be predicted with a high degree of precision, many observers consider people unreliable. To the contrary, human beings possess unique decision-making capabilities, and when equipped with adequate information, knowledge and experience can overcome the disadvantages of changing conditions, incomplete or inaccurate information and time pressure to make decisions computers and other technological systems remain incapable of.

Myth #5. People are ignorant or at least ill-informed: People often lack a sophisticated understanding of fire, and some people labour under dangerous misconceptions about fire. But people generally have a good, albeit inexplicit, understanding of risk. This can lead to poor decisions concerning fire-related risks or complacency about fire danger. Ordinarily, people undertake engage in risky fire-related behaviour when they don't appreciate the true nature of the hazards with which they are dealing