Fire Extinguishers
Save Lives
See It – Grab It – Use It
Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that a missing fire extinguisher in a school laboratory is a “physical defect” even if it wasn’t legally required. The ruling allows students burned by an exploding bottle of alcohol in 2020 to sue their school district. The question of whether missing fire safety equipment can be a “physical defect” has divided Ohio courts for years.
Grand Forks, ND – Grand Forks, North Dakota firefighters were recently called to respond to a report of smoke and flames coming from an apartment. A fan in the bathroom overheated and started a ceiling fire. Before responders arrived, the apartment tenant successfully used a portable fire extinguisher to suppress the flames. By using the fire extinguisher, the tenant was able to put out the fire and limit the amount of damage.
Danbury, CT – A staff member at a pharmaceutical company in Danbury, Connecticut successfully used a portable fire extinguisher when equipment inside the company’s building caught fire. Although employees had to evacuate the building, no one was seriously injured. The employee’s swift actions limited the amount of damage to the equipment and the impacts could have been considerably worse if they did not suppress the fire before responders arrived.
i95 WRKI – WRKIFM (Brookfield, CT)
Lincoln, NE – In Hebron, Nebraska, a farmer sprang into action to prevent a fire, which started in the engine area of his tractor, from spreading. The farmer used the portable fire extinguisher that he carries with him while working the fields to knock down the flames until first responders arrived. On their Facebook page, the Hebron Fire Department posted that the farmer’s actions are a “great example” of how carrying a portable fire extinguisher can prevent major damage, particularly in high wind and drought conditions.
Medford, OR – In O’Brien, Oregon, the owners of McGrew’s Restaurant were opening for the day when they noticed smoke coming from the restaurant’s kitchen. The owners called 911 and used a portable fire extinguisher to successfully contain the fire until responders arrived. Upon arrival, the Illinois Valley Fire District, the Oregon Department of Forestry, and the Rural Metro Fire Rescue extinguished the remaining flames in the dining area, and no one was injured.
Victorville, CA – In Cajon Pass, California, a CalTrans employee stopped on the I-15 freeway to respond to a bush fire in the center divider of the highway. The employee used a portable fire extinguisher to prevent the flames from spreading and to mitigate potential further damage that could have occurred due to the strong winds. The acre-and-a-half fire was contained to the center divider. However, firefighters and the US Forest Service requested the California Highway Patrol to close a portion of the highway while they suppressed the last of the flames and cleaned up the area.
Victor Valley News (Victorville, CA)
Spokane, Washington – In Spokane, Washington, an individual witnessed a fire erupt at his neighbor’s home. The individual ran to his neighbor’s home when he heard a propane tank explode, although officials are unsure what started the fire. The neighbor used a portable fire extinguisher to contain the fire to the exterior of the home and to extinguish most of the fire prior to responders arriving to the scene. The neighbor’s heroic actions not only prevented damage to the interior of the home but allowed the eight people inside at the time to evacuate safely.
Lansing, Michigan – In Lansing, Michigan, a fire broke out at an apartment complex causing residents to evacuate the building. Prior to emergency responders arriving to the scene, smoke could be seen coming out of the apartments. The battalion Chief noted that a tenant who had a portable fire extinguisher was able to extinguish the fire, which started on a stove. Although two individuals were evaluated for smoke inhalation, they did not require hospitalization and tenants were allowed back into their apartments.
Lawton, Oklahoma – In Lawton, Oklahoma, two Captains from the Fort Sill Army Base rescued a driver of a rolled over truck that caught on fire on I-44. The first Captain pulled the driver out of the vehicle while the second one used a portable fire extinguisher on the underside of the truck to extinguish the flames. They were able to successfully put out the fire and get the driver to safety before responders arrived.
New York, NY – In Hamilton Heights, Manhattan, pedestrians on the street witnessed a liquor store burst into flames. One man quickly went next door, grabbed a portable fire extinguisher, and went to work to control the flames while waiting for authorities to respond. When firefighters arrived, they successfully extinguished the remaining flames.
WABC-TV New York (New York, NY)
Latest Stories
Ohio Supreme Court rules: Fire extinguisher missing from classroom a ‘physical defect’
Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that a missing fire extinguisher in a school laboratory is a “physical defect” even if it wasn’t legally required. The ruling allows students burned by an exploding bottle of alcohol in 2020 to sue their school district. The question of whether missing fire safety equipment can […]
Grand Forks tenant uses fire extinguisher to put out bathroom fire
Grand Forks, ND – Grand Forks, North Dakota firefighters were recently called to respond to a report of smoke and flames coming from an apartment. A fan in the bathroom overheated and started a ceiling fire. Before responders arrived, the apartment tenant successfully used a portable fire extinguisher to suppress the flames. By using the […]
Firefighters respond to early morning fire on Tylor Street in Danbury
Danbury, CT – A staff member at a pharmaceutical company in Danbury, Connecticut successfully used a portable fire extinguisher when equipment inside the company’s building caught fire. Although employees had to evacuate the building, no one was seriously injured. The employee’s swift actions limited the amount of damage to the equipment and the impacts could […]
In Hebron, potential wildfire stopped with handy fire extinguisher
Lincoln, NE – In Hebron, Nebraska, a farmer sprang into action to prevent a fire, which started in the engine area of his tractor, from spreading. The farmer used the portable fire extinguisher that he carries with him while working the fields to knock down the flames until first responders arrived. On their Facebook page, […]
Firefighters put out flames at restaurant in O’Brien
Medford, OR – In O’Brien, Oregon, the owners of McGrew’s Restaurant were opening for the day when they noticed smoke coming from the restaurant’s kitchen. The owners called 911 and used a portable fire extinguisher to successfully contain the fire until responders arrived. Upon arrival, the Illinois Valley Fire District, the Oregon Department of Forestry, […]
Small brush fire breaks out along the I-15 freeway in the Cajon Pass on Sunday
Victorville, CA – In Cajon Pass, California, a CalTrans employee stopped on the I-15 freeway to respond to a bush fire in the center divider of the highway. The employee used a portable fire extinguisher to prevent the flames from spreading and to mitigate potential further damage that could have occurred due to the strong […]
Alert neighbor handles house fire before Spokane fire crews arrive
Spokane, Washington – In Spokane, Washington, an individual witnessed a fire erupt at his neighbor’s home. The individual ran to his neighbor’s home when he heard a propane tank explode, although officials are unsure what started the fire. The neighbor used a portable fire extinguisher to contain the fire to the exterior of the home […]
Fire at Lansing apartment complex prompts evacuation
Lansing, Michigan – In Lansing, Michigan, a fire broke out at an apartment complex causing residents to evacuate the building. Prior to emergency responders arriving to the scene, smoke could be seen coming out of the apartments. The battalion Chief noted that a tenant who had a portable fire extinguisher was able to extinguish the […]
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Every state has a State Fire Code with a section on fire extinguisher requirements. To get an overview of what state fire codes are based on and if states have made enhancements to fire codes visit the Interactive Fire Safety Map.
