Fire Extinguishers
Save Lives
See It – Grab It – Use It
PULLMAN, WA – Fire authorities are warning people to be extra careful, and have a fire extinguisher on-hand, when using charcoal grills after briquettes in Pullman, WA caught on fire a month after they were used. The Pullman Fire Department responded to a call about a deck fire one recent Sunday morning. When they arrived, the apartment tenants had already put out the fire using a portable fire extinguisher. The Pullman Fire Chief told reporters that research has found that wet briquettes can spontaneously combust in the right conditions, which he believes is what happened in this situation.
MARTHA’S VINEYARD, MA – During a routine trip, the chief engineer on a Martha’s Vineyard ferry discovered a fire in one of the three generators on the boat. The fire started as the ferry was coming into port in Vineyard Haven. The chief engineer quickly grabbed a portable fire extinguisher and doused the flames. Upon docking, passengers were evacuated and the fire department determined the fire was completely extinguished.
Vineyard Gazette (Martha’s Vineyard, MA)
BEL AIR, MD – A man was turning left in his car at an intersection when a school bus ran a red light and hit his car. Witnesses immediately called emergency officials, notifying them that the car had started on fire. A bystander jumped into action by flagging down a different school bus, grabbed a portable fire extinguisher, and put out the flames. When first responders got to the scene, the fire was out and they were able to focus on removing the driver from the car. The father of the car crash survivor told reporters that the bystander who put out the flames and saved his son was an “Angel”.
DALTON, GA – Thanks to the lessons learned at a recent fire station tour, a 5-year-old girl knew exactly what to do when a fire started in her bedroom. As she was playing in her room, she noticed a fire had started behind her toy box. She immediately ran out of her room to her parents, where she then told her father to go get a fire extinguisher and her mother to dial 911. As the mother did just that, while also evacuating the family from the house, the father used a portable fire extinguisher to put out the flames. The Whitfield County Fire Chief said that the fire started in the electrical socket, but was out when the fire department arrived.
The Daily Citizen (Dalton, GA)
STUART, FL – One evening, a grandmother was cooking dinner with her two grandchildren, when she left to run across the street to the store. While she was gone, the stove caught on fire. Three men who happened to be walking by saw the smoke and rushed inside the apartment. While two of the men evacuated the children, the third man used a portable fire extinguisher to put out the flames. Police officers said the men’s quick actions potentially saved two lives and prevented serious property damage.
DRYDEN, NY – Dryden middle and high schools were evacuated one morning after a chemical fire started in a chemistry classroom trashcan. Once the teacher was alerted to the fire, he was able to quickly douse the flames using a fire extinguisher. He then pulled the fire alarm to evacuate the building, closing the door to the lab on his way out. In a later statement, school officials said that the incident was contained, and no students were harmed.
LOS ANGELES, CA – Powell Library administrators at the University California, Los Angeles are reviewing the library’s lighting system after a desk lamp light bulb started a fire. A library staff member spotted the fire in the Reading Room while working one night. After calling the fire department, the librarian found a portable extinguisher and put out the fire before authorities arrived. UCLA facilities workers are taking further precautions by completing a thorough check of the library’s lamps, as they want to ensure the safety of the historic Powell Library.
MARNE, MI – Six fire departments responded to a dispatch call of an explosion at a local barrel reconditioning facility. The company’s president said that the fire was caused by an inexperienced employee grinding too close to a barrel. Before any of the fire departments were able to arrive at the scene, employees had already put out the flames with a portable fire extinguisher. Two workers were checked out on the scene as a precaution, but no one was taken to the hospital. Fire authorities inspected the building, but there was only minor damage as a result of the fire and employees were cleared to reenter shortly after the incident.
PUYALLUP, WA – Costco employees had to spring into action after a customer’s cellphone caught fire in his pants. The man was shopping when, abruptly, the cellphone in his pants pocket started smoking and burst into flames. As the man hurried to remove his pants, other customers and employees were alerted to the incident. The man was able to completely take off his pants, and an employee had grabbed a portable fire extinguisher to put out the flames. The store manager told reporters that the customer was not injured as a result of the fire.
DETROIT, MI – The EMT’s were first to arrive on the scene of a reported house fire. Fire crews were battling another fire and were not able to get to the second fire immediately. The two EMT’s acted quickly, grabbing a portable fire extinguisher to knock down the flames before they worked to evacuate the family. At first, no one inside the house was responding to the EMT’s as they knocked on the doors. Finally, when someone answered the door, they were able to evacuate all the residents, some of whom were children. The actions of the EMT’s ensured that the fire did not spread beyond the front of the house and that no one was injured as a result of the fire.
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
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.
