Fire Extinguishers
Save Lives
See It – Grab It – Use It
OXFORD, CO – A truck driver travelling along Colorado Highway 172 spotted a roadside fire that was caused by a hot piece of equipment that fell off of a broken down car. The truck driver immediately stopped and used a portable fire extinguisher to reduce the size of the flames until the fire department could arrive. Several other drivers on the road pulled over as well to assist the truck driver. The fire chief said that the fire burned “about half to three-quarters of an acre,” but could’ve been much worse.
The Durango Herald (Oxford, CO)
GULFPORT, MS — On an early Sunday morning at the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, a fire began in the baggage claim area of the building. This fire occurred after a piece of TSA equipment that is used to scan bags caught on fire, causing officials to evacuate the airport. Luckily, airport staff was able to use the portable fire extinguishers to put out the flames before the local fire department had a chance to arrive. There were no injuries or damage to any baggage in the airport and flight passengers were able to enter the building again after only 20 minutes.
DENISON, TX – Early in the morning, staff at the Crawford Street Place Assisted Living Center discovered a fire that was ignited due to a light fixture shorting out. The residents of the retirement home were quickly evacuated from the building to another center in Denison. The retirement home staff was able to assess the issue in the kitchen and put the flames out with a portable fire extinguisher before firefighters arrived on the scene. Due to the quick actions taken by the staff, nobody was hurt as a result of the fire. The occupants of Crawford Street Place were able to move back into their homes later that evening.
ARLINGTON, NE – Quick thinking from Arlington Community Church members prevented two electrical fires from spreading. First, a meter on the south side of the building caught fire from an electrical short, but was quickly put out by a neighbor with a portable fire extinguisher. Power was shut off to the building while two congregation members who own an electrical business repaired the meter. After the power was restored to the church, the electricians discovered that the dishwasher had caught fire as well. Another portable fire extinguisher was used to put out the flames. No one was harmed as a result of the fires, but the church will be closed until further notice.
Pilot-Tribune & Enterprise (Arlington, NE)
WEEDSPORT, NY — At Weedsport Junior-Senior High School, a fire began due to a malfunction with the school’s 3D printer. While students were being evacuated from the building, a school staff member was able to put out the flames using a portable fire extinguisher before the local fire department arrived. The Superintendent applauded the personnel inside the school for utilizing the skills that they learned during fire safety drills. The school resumed classes once the area was deemed safe again, but closed off the three rooms that were impacted by the fire. The school also halted all use of 3D printers for the time being.
ATHENS, AL – A three month old puppy is being credited with saving the lives of his owners after he woke them up from a nap because their lawn was on fire. According to the family, two of their dogs were sleeping with them, but luckily the puppy was awake to alert them to the rapidly spreading fire. The couple told journalists that the fire was inches from their house, but they were able to use a portable fire extinguisher to put out a majority of the flames. The source of the fire was not determined, but damage from the fire was limited to items in the yard.
ORLANDO, FL – During Disney’s daily Festival of Fantasy at the Magic Kingdom, the Maleficent Dragon parade float caught fire in front of hundreds of spectators. A Disney spokesperson confirmed that the dragon’s flame throwing mechanism malfunctioned and caught the dragon’s head on fire. Spectators posted videos online showing a park employee using a portable fire extinguisher to spray the flames. Disney’s spokesperson and Orlando fire authorities confirmed that the fire was extinguished before fire fighters arrived at the scene and that the no one was injured as a result of the fire.
Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, FL)
SAUGUS, MA – Two Oaklandvale Elementary School cafeteria workers were recently commended at a school committee meeting for their quick response to a kitchen fire. Earlier this month, an electrical fire started while the two women were preparing the day’s meals. The women worked as a team to remove some nearby cardboard, notify school staff, and call the fire department. Additionally, they successfully used a portable fire extinguisher to put out the flames. No one was injured as a result of the fire and the cafeteria workers were able to finish preparing food for the school’s students.
OAKLAND, CA — The Mayor of Oakland was parking her car one morning, when she realized that the city’s famous oak tree was on fire. She immediately ran inside City Hall, found two fire extinguishers, gave one to a security guard, and started spraying the fire. The duo was able to completely extinguish the fire before authorities arrived at the plaza. The tree, which has stood for over 100 years, was intentionally set on fire. The Mayor told the press that “As the mayor of Oakland, every day I have to put out fires, but today it was a literal one.”
The Sacramento Bee (Oakland, CA)
NEW MILFORD, CT – Students at the New Milford High School had to be evacuated after two fires were discovered inside two of the boys’ bathrooms. Teachers at the high school were able to put out the fires using portable fire extinguishers, which contained the fires to the toilet paper dispensers. The evacuation lasted for less than an hour and there were no injuries reported. Police investigated the scenes and determined that both fires had been deliberately set.
Latest Stories
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 […]
Homeowners extinguish fire started by family pet
Almira Township, MI – Homeowners in Almira Township, MI, used a portable fire extinguisher to put out a kitchen fire started by the family pet. According to fire officials, the family cat likely turned on the oven’s self-cleaning function which ignited grease in a pan left overnight. The home’s smoke alarm sounded, waking up the […]
Officer extinguishes engine fire, saves driver
Traverse, City MI – In Traverse City, Michigan, a conservation officer is being recognized for rescuing a driver involved in a two-vehicle crash. While he was assisting the rescue effort, the engine of one of the vehicles caught fire. As the flames began to spread, he quickly retrieved the portable fire extinguisher from his patrol […]
Quick-thinking employees extinguish fire
Somerset, KY – At a Dairy Queen in Somerset, Kentucky, employees quickly extinguished a kitchen fire before firefighters arrived. Firefighters dispatched to the scene were relieved to find that employees had already put out the flames using a portable fire extinguisher. The firefighters noted that the employees had completely extinguished the fire using proper fire […]
Bus driver saves police officer after crash
Pine Bluff, AR – In Pine Bluff, Arkansas, a school bus driver saved a police officer’s life after the officer’s vehicle slammed into his bus and caught fire. As flames began to spread across the vehicle, the bus driver was unable to get the driver out of the vehicle. He used a portable fire extinguisher from […]
Oven fire quickly extinguished
Philomath, OR – A woman in Philomath, OR, averted disaster when oil in her oven ignited during a self-cleaning cycle. As the oven caught fire, she quickly grabbed a portable fire extinguisher from outside her apartment door and successfully extinguished the flames before firefighters arrived. Thanks to her swift actions, the damage was limited to […]
Heroes save driver after car catches fire
Dundee, NE – Bystanders in Dundee, NE, are being praised for their quick actions in saving a driver whose vehicle had caught fire. As flames rapidly engulfed the car, two bystanders grabbed portable fire extinguishers and used them to slow the blaze long enough for others to pry open the car door and rescue 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.
