Fire Extinguishers
Save Lives
See It – Grab It – Use It
BERKELEY COUNTY, SC – The Marine Patrol Unit from the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office recently responded to a report of a boater in distress on Lake Moultrie. Deputies later posted on their Facebook page with updates on the rescue. They state that once they had located the boat, they found that the operator had been able to put out the fire using an onboard portable extinguisher. The fire was contained to the boat’s engine compartment and was later towed back to shore.
Live 5 News (Berkeley County, SC)
DENVER, CO – A passenger’s vaping device is being blamed for a fire that disrupted operations at Denver International Airport last month. According to a press release from the Denver Fire Department, the dissembled device was inside the passenger’s travel bag when it caught fire as it passed through a TSA X-ray machine. The fire was quickly put out by TSA employees using a nearby portable fire extinguisher. While no one was injured as a result of the fire, the incident prompted officials to temporally halt train service and security screening, causing significant delays throughout the airport.
COLUMBUS, IN – Following a fire at an OfficeMax, the store manager told firefighters that it wasn’t until he entered the rear stock area of the store that he found smoke and a fire which had started in the cardboard-compactor machine. He then immediately warned the other store staff and used a portable dry chemical fire extinguisher to douse the flames. The manager was able to contain the fire until firefighters arrived and were able to extinguish the fire that was isolated in the back of the machine. Columbus firefighters determined the fire was caused by an electrical short near the compactor’s motor, which ignited the cardboard below the motor.
HILLSDALE, NJ – Around 2 a.m. one morning, a New Jersey homeowner was woken up as a car crashed into her house. She told authorities that she heard a loud explosion, so she looked out her window, where she saw that the car was on fire and resting on her house. She immediately ran outside with a fire extinguisher to put out the flames while authorities were on route. Once authorities arrived, they ensured that the fire was out and then removed the man from his car. While the car was totaled, the driver did not suffer any serious injuries and the house only received minor damage.
VINELAND, NJ – Just as cafeteria workers were about to serve lunch at a New Jersey elementary school, the oven caught fire. Firefighters arrived at the school to find that fire had been put out thanks to a cafeteria worker and a fire extinguisher. Investigators determined that the fire was caused by an electrical issue. While the food was ruined, damage in the kitchen was contained to the oven. The food service provider for the elementary school told reporters that they prepare staff for emergencies during workshops and staff meetings.
The Daily Journal (Vineland, NJ)
SHEFFIELD, TN – It started with a sudden pop in the kitchen, followed by a burning smell that the husband and wife homeowners could not locate. After searching their house for the source of the smell, they discovered smoke seeping from the cabinet door below the stove. That is when they found a fire that was growing in the cabinet. After calling 911, they used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. In situations like this, according to the Fire Equipment Manufacturers’ Association, 95 percent of all property damage from fires occurs when the fire has progressed beyond its early stages. However, as a direct result of the couple’s use of a fire extinguisher, the fire was contained to the cabinet area causing only minor damage.
TULSA, OK – A bystander who witnessed a car hit another vehicle before crashing into an apartment complex was able to save the life of the driver and prevent any further property damage. The car was travelling along a highway when it struck an SUV, went off the highway and drove through a median before hitting the apartment complex, which caused it to catch fire. Firefighters said that the bystander then grabbed a nearby portable fire extinguisher and ran over to the car to put out the fire. No one was injured as a result of the crash or the fire.
RACINE, WI – The Racine Fire Department is crediting a Horlick High School student and teacher with quick action to extinguish a trash can fire inside the school theater one morning. Officials said a student discovered a small fire inside a trash can in the theater, then notified his teacher and activated the fire alarm. The teacher put the fire out with a portable fire extinguisher, which allowed for the fire to be contained within the trash can. “This is a great example of if you see something, say something,” Fire Department officials said. “Quick thinking and action prevented a possible disaster.”
The Journal Times (Racine, WI)
YORK, PA – Back in August of this year, a 91-year-old resident of York, PA rushed to her neighbor’s apartment with a portable fire extinguisher after being alerted to a kitchen fire. Neighbors recounted that the 91-year-old confidently grabbed the portable fire extinguisher from the apartment building hallway and put out the kitchen fire. Even more impressive was that the elderly woman was able to extinguish the flames despite her already failing health; she passed away from congestive heart failure in September. The City of York posthumously honored her with the creation of the Distinguished Citizen of the Year Award in her name for community members who go above and beyond in providing extraordinary service for the safety and well-being of their community, just as she did in August.
ELK GROVE, CA – As a teacher was driving to school one morning on Highway 99, her car burst into flames. She immediately pulled over to the side of the road and exited her car. Meanwhile, two soon to be Good Samaritans witnessed the fire begin. Both witnesses grabbed portable fire extinguishers that they had and ran to the car. The two men were able to completely put out the fire with the extinguishers before fire authorities arrived. The teacher lost a few books to the fire, but residents of the town have already stepped in to replace them for her.
CBS Sacramento (Elk Grove, CA)
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
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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.
