Fire Extinguishers
Save Lives
See It – Grab It – Use It
Beaufort, SC — Recently, a fifteen year old girl became her family’s savior when she prevented their home from going up in flames. While preheating the oven on a Friday night, the girl watched a spark catch the oven on fire. Swiftly, she grabbed a nearby portable fire extinguisher and smothered the growing blaze. Although smoke continued to fill the house as fire fighters arrived, the flames had been completely stamped out. Only the oven was damaged as a result of the fire.
The Beaufort Gazette (Bluffton, SC)
Summit, NJ — An employee at Overlook Medical Center relied on his fire safety training to manage a growing car fire that was outside of the building. In the early hours of the morning, the New Jersey man watched as a car burst into flames and dashed outside with a portable fire extinguisher. Recalling the safety training he had received through his employer, the man used a portable fire extinguisher to control the flames until professionals reported to the scene. As a result of his actions, no one was injured by the fire.
El Cajon, CA- A mechanic from Executive Auto saved not one, but two local businesses when he took control of a blaze along Interstate 8. The brush fire initially sparked on a nearby hill between the two auto shops, but was spreading fast. Spotting the flames, the man grabbed a portable fire extinguisher and went to work managing the flames until emergency crews could respond. The man’s fellow employees insisted that he had prevented thousands of dollars’ worth of customer vehicles from being torched.
Whitehall, MI – Over Memorial Day weekend, a local Whitehall family was shocked when their pool heater burst into flames. Enjoying some s’mores with friends, the party was interrupted by a cloud of smoke billowing from the pool house. Upon discovering the fire, the family’s guest, a Fire Inspector at White Lake Fire Authority, swiftly grabbed a portable fire extinguisher from the kitchen and put out the flames. Only the pool heater and attached plumbing were lost.
FireExtinguishersSaveLives.org Submission (Whitehall, MI)
Norwalk, IA – On a recent Tuesday evening, the Norwalk fire department was called to put out a house fire that was ignited by a bolt of lightning. The strike hit the home’s shed and travelled to the house. The owners acted swiftly, grabbing their portable fire extinguisher, and put out the flames. While the house sustained some damage, everyone inside remained out of harm’s way.
WHO-HD Ch. 13 News. (Norwalk, IA)
Naples, FL – A family in Southwest Florida is thankful for their son’s quick thinking. Playing on his Xbox late one night, the young boy became alarmed when he was overpowered by the smell of burning plastic. After realizing his brother’s mini fridge had caught on fire, he quickly picked up his sister and led his other siblings to safety. Returning with his nanny, he smothered the flames with a portable fire extinguisher. As a result of his actions, there were no injuries.
SANTA ROSA, CA – The Santa Rosa Fire Department is investigating a package that suddenly burst into flames in an apartment building hallway as arson. The person who called the fire department told reporters that a package in the hallway of his apartment ignited and caused a fire. The building resident acted quickly, however, and put it out with a portable fire extinguisher. The burning package caused smoke stains and heat damage to the walls and ceiling of the hallway, but no one was injured as a result of the fire.
Bay City News Service (Santa Rosa, CA)
LANSING, MI – Students at Lansing Community College were able to return to class after a fire broke out in the school’s wood working shop. The fire department was called to the college after a fire was discovered and had started to fill a portion of the building with smoke. Thanks to the quick action of a staff member, the fire was put out using a portable extinguisher before they were able to arrive. The fire department determined that sawdust got into the external dust collector, where it smoldered and caught fire.
CALIFORNIA, MD – A photographer for Southern Maryland News Net was in the right place at the right time. When the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to a residence on Nicholas Court for a kitchen fire, he was only one block away. After arriving a few moments later, the photographer found the home’s occupants standing outside, where they told him they had attempted to put out the fire using a bag of flour, but were not successful. Luckily, the photographer had recently bought a portable fire extinguisher for his vehicle, and was able to use it to put out the rest of the flames, saving the family’s home.
Southern Maryland News Net (California, MD)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – While on route to the scene of a police shootout, a New Orleans police officer lost control of his car, crashing into an oak tree, which caused his cruiser to catch fire. Luckily, the neighborhood’s residents jumped into action. First, they pulled the police officer from the burning cruiser, and then several residents used portable fire extinguishers to put out the flames. The police officer only suffered minor injuries as a result of the crash and was quickly released from the hospital.
The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA)
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
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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.
