Fire Extinguishers
Save Lives
See It – Grab It – Use It
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)
HONOLULU, HI – Fire fighters on the Island of Honolulu were recently called to the scene of a fire at a local restaurant. However, when they arrived on the scene they found that the fire had already been extinguished by a group of Good Samaritans. The group had noticed the fire as they were passing by, so they quickly entered the building, retrieved a portable fire extinguisher and put out the flames. Fire investigators had not determined the cause of the fire, but said it was of suspicious origin. The Good Samaritans prevented over $600,000 of damage from occurring.
Hawaii Tribune Herald (Honolulu, HI)
Latest Stories
Home saved with extinguisher after dryer catches fire
Chester, MA – A homeowner in Chester, MA, successfully contained a dryer fire using a portable fire extinguisher before firefighters arrived. The Chester Fire Department responded to ensure the fire was fully extinguished. Fire officials praised the homeowner for having the appropriate extinguisher on hand, which prevented significant damage to the home. WWLP – Chester, […]
Extinguisher stops fire at laundromat
Corvallis, OR – At a laundromat in Corvallis, OR, a bystander utilized a portable fire extinguisher to stop a fire that started inside one of the laundry machines. After smoke alarms sounded, the individual used a nearby fire extinguisher to suppress fire. When fire officials arrived on scene, they found the fire completely extinguished and […]
Homeowners use extinguisher to prevent major house fire
Concord, VA – Homeowners in Concord, Virginia, successfully put out a fire using a portable fire extinguisher after being alerted by their smoke alarms. The Concord Volunteer Fire Department (CVFD) responded to the scene but found the fire already extinguished. Fire crews ventilated the remaining smoke from the home before clearing the scene. CVFD praised […]
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 […]
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.
