Fire Extinguishers
Save Lives
See It – Grab It – Use It
ORANGE COUNTY, CA — Using the knowledge he learned from being a Boy Scout, an Orange County teenager was able to use a portable fire extinguisher to put out a fire in his apartment building. He was originally alerted to the fire by his neighbor shouting for help. The Scout immediately jumped into action by grabbing a portable fire extinguisher that was located in the buildings hallway and telling another neighbor to call 911. The Scout remembered his training, which was to “pull the pin in the handle, aim the nozzle at the fire’s base, squeeze the lever and sweep from side to side.” He was able to put out the flames before the authorities arrived.
Scouting Magazine (Orange County, CA)
LANCASTER, PA – A Lancaster man went to bed early one Sunday morning and left his flat screen TV on playing music with a timer to shut it off after an hour. Instead, the man woke up to the TV on fire on a table at the foot of the bed. The home’s smoke alarms woke two other people up, who were able to use a portable fire extinguisher to put out the flames. The fire was extinguished before the fire department arrived and the man who left the TV on was treated for smoke inhalation.
IDYLLWILD, CA — A group of good Samaritans extinguished a fire that was starting to spread near the already destructive Cranston Fire in Riverside County, CA. Two coworkers were on their way to work when they spotted the fire just off the side of the road. They pulled over and started to flag down other cars. One of the other people who pulled over had a portable fire extinguisher, which the group used to put out the flames. Authorities determined that the fire was started intentionally and had a suspect in custody.
COOPERSTOWN, NY — During a recent Sunday morning, an overhead lamp ballast at the Bassett Medical Center caught on fire, causing it to melt and burn. When firefighters responded to the scene, they found that it had already been put out by a hospital staff member using a portable fire extinguisher. While no one was injured as a result of the fire, four hospital patients had to be relocated to other rooms while their original spaces were cleaned. Thanks to the staff member’s actions, none of the equipment in the hospital was damaged and the staff members were able to continue helping any walk-in patients.
AUGUSTA, ME — The residents of a two-story home in Augusta had to jump into action after the buildings smoke detectors alerted them to a fire. The mother and daughter were able to control the flames with their portable fire extinguisher until fire fighters arrived. The fire is believed to have been started by a candle that was left unattended in another room of the house. While no one was injured because of the fire, the home did sustain minor damage. The two women stayed in an alternate location that evening because firefighters needed to shut down the electricity during their response.
Central Maine News (Augusta, ME)
BISMARCK, ND – Earlier this month, a laundry machine caught fire at the My Place Hotel in Bismarck. While it is unclear what started the fire, a hotel employee is credited with putting out the flames by using a dry chemical portable fire extinguisher. Once fire crews arrived, they only had to ventilate the building of smoke, as the employee had extinguished the entire fire. No injuries occurred as a result of the fire and only the washing machine itself was damaged.
The Bismarck Tribune (Bismarck, ND)
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)
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.
