Fire Extinguishers
Save Lives
See It – Grab It – Use It
Middletown, NJ – A smoke alarm and fire extinguisher staved off disaster for a family in the Middletown, NJ. The fire broke out in the home’s laundry room, but the family was quickly alerted to it by their smoke alarm. While most of the family evacuated the home, one of the residents used a portable fire extinguisher to put out the flames. Fire crews arrived shortly later to inspect and ventilate the home.
Ashbury Park Press. (Middletown, NJ)
Lake Stevens, WA – A woman was injured when her car went careening off a road one recent evening. The car went 50 feet down an embankment, where it crashed and caught fire in the engine compartment. A nearby witness was able to quickly douse the flames with a portable fire extinguisher. Firefighters were able to remove the driver from the car and took her to the hospital with a leg injury. A man riding in the passenger seat was able to get out of the car on his own and was not injured.
Somerville, MA – A bus driver has been recognized as a hero after she jumped into action to help save people in a burning home. The driver was returning the bus back to the garage when she came upon the fire burning in a three-family home. She stopped the bus, grabbed the vehicle’s portable fire extinguisher, and ran to the building. She emptied the extinguisher onto the flames, and then knocked on an adjoining door to get people out. The bus driver reported that she was assisted by an unknown male party with trying to help notify residents in the building and with extinguishing the fire.
New Hope, MN – At the start of the New Year, West Metro Fire began offering free home safety surveys to residents. During the survey, members of the fire department perform a walk through with homeowners to identify safety hazards and provide smoke detectors or fire extinguishers, at no cost, to residents who need them. Back in January, a New Hope family was able to save their home by putting out a basement fire using the portable fire extinguisher they received after the home safety survey. West Metro’s Deputy Fire Marshal told reporters that she thought, “if they wouldn’t have had the home safety survey, he wouldn’t have had a fire extinguisher. He wouldn’t have known how to use a fire extinguisher, and when to use one.”
Bellingham, WA – Bellingham Fire Department and North Whatcom Fire and Rescue crews reported to Yew Street after a 911 caller saw smoke coming from an upstairs window. Before the crew’s arrival, a neighbor broke a window and entered the house to use a portable fire extinguisher to knock down the flames before fire authorities arrived. Afterwards, the Bellingham Fire Captain explained, “Fire extinguishers are designed to interfere with the growth of a fire during the incipient, or early, phase of a fire. The use of an extinguisher had a direct impact on this fire, allowing the resident to remain in the house and resulting in very little damage being caused by this fire.”
Bellingham Herald (Bellingham, WA)
Indian River County, FL — On a Friday morning, firefighters responded to the report of a small fire at a Children’s Discovery Center. The fire started in the bathroom of the center after an electrical outlet shorted. After smelling a strange odor coming from one of the vents in the bathroom, a staff member located the fire and put it out using a portable fire extinguisher. The children were immediately evacuated and eventually sent home for the day. No one was harmed and the fire was extinguished before fire authorities arrived.
Treasure Coast News (Palm Bay, FL)
Beverly, MA – A Beverly couple woke up recently to the sound of their fire alarm alerting them to a fire in the kitchen. After leaving their phones to charge in the kitchen overnight, one of the chargers caught fire with the flames quickly spreading in the kitchen. The couple was able to contain the flames by using a portable fire extinguisher they had just received as a gift. When the firefighters arrived, they were able to put out the remainder of the flames. While the kitchen was heavily damaged, no injuries were reported as a result of the fire.
Bend, OR – Two kitchen fires were reported within hours of each other in January in Bend, OR. The first fire started around 11am at an apartment complex after a stovetop was turned on to boil water. A coffee carousel was accidentally left in range of the burner and caught fire. Residents were evacuated after the fire broke out, but the tenant was able to extinguish the flames using a portable fire extinguisher. The second fire occurred later that evening when a 20-year-old microwave caught fire while operating. The fire was also put out using a portable extinguisher, which limited damage to the home.
Jacksonville, NC – A fire started in a sanitation truck due to lithium batteries being incorrectly disposed of. According to the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, this type of battery disposal is illegal. When the batteries were pushed into the back of the truck with flammable waste, they combusted and a fire erupted. The sanitation workers in the truck noticed the fire and worked to control the fire using a portable extinguisher. With help from the fire department, the fire was able to be completely doused and no one was harmed. Little damage to the truck was reported and it remains operational.
JDNews.com, The Daily News (Jacksonville, NC)
Tipp City, OH – A stage curtain at the Center for Performing Arts at the Tippecanoe High School caught fire this week. Due to the quick action of the school staff members who were on the scene, the fire was put out using a portable fire extinguisher prior to the fire department’s arrival. It’s believed to have been caused by radiant heat from the stage lighting. The damage was contained to a small portion of the curtain and no injuries were sustained by anyone on the scene.
Latest Stories
Extinguisher keeps garage fire at bay
Huntley, IL – Construction workers used a portable fire extinguisher to help contain a fire that broke out in a homeowner’s garage. The workers started with buckets of water, but as the flames grew, they found a nearby fire extinguisher and used it to suppress the flames. Fire officials praised the workers for containing the […]
Robotics students avoid disaster with extinguishers
West Newbury, MA – When a fire broke out in a Massachusetts school auditorium, a group of robotics students responded using portable fire extinguishers. After noticing a growing blaze in a trash barrel filled with sawdust, the students used the nearby fire extinguishers to control the flames before first responders arrived. School officials praised the […]
Hero uses fire extinguisher, saves seniors
South Strabane, PA – A maintenance worker’s use of a portable fire extinguisher is being highlighted for stopping a fire at a senior living facility in Washington County. When a fire broke out in a senior’s apartment, the worker quickly used a portable fire extinguisher to extinguish the flames within 90 seconds. The worker was […]
Neighbor uses fire extinguisher against cooking fire
De Pere, WI – In De Pere, WI, a fire in a townhome kitchen was extinguished using a portable fire extinguisher. When a grease fire broke out on the stove, the homeowner called 911, but before firefighters could arrive, a neighbor and a nearby police officer used a fire extinguisher to completely extinguish the fire. […]
Bystander, fire extinguisher help save home on Christmas
Henrico County, VA – A Henrico County, VA couple narrowly avoid disaster on Christmas Day by using a portable fire extinguisher to put out an electrical fire. When a bystander alerted them to a fire on their front porch, the homeowner quickly used a fire extinguisher to suppress the fire. When firefighters arrived, they found […]
11 year-old honored for fire extinguisher save
Fort Collins, CO – An 11-year-old from Fort Collins, CO is being honored for helping save her neighbor’s home after quickly extinguishing an apartment fire. When she noticed the fire, she quickly ran to grab a nearby portable fire extinguisher. Her swift use of the extinguisher prevented the fire from spreading further and potentially trapping […]
Employees use fire extinguisher against mechanical fire
Lincoln, NE – Employees at a manufacturing plant in Lincoln, NE utilized a portable fire extinguisher to stop the spread of a duct fire. After a mechanical failure in the plant’s exhaust system sparked the fire, employees used a nearby fire extinguisher to knock out the flames before firefighters arrived on scene. Fire officials praised […]
Use of fire extinguisher prevents porch fire from spreading
Elk River, MN – An employee of a Minnesota retirement community used a portable fire extinguisher to put out a fire caused by a discarded cigarette, preventing a potentially devastating porch fire. When a poorly discarded cigarette ignited a porch planter, flames and smoke began to enter the apartment building. Hearing the smoke detector, the […]
Research
Portable Fire Extinguishers Dramatically Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Building Fires
Portable Fire Extinguishers are Safe & Effective Tools for Building Occupants
Videos
About FireExtinguishersSaveLives.org
Why Fire Extinguishers are Important
How to Use a Portable Fire Extinguisher
Fire Safety Map
Are You Safe? Does your building require fire extinguishers throughout?
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.
