Fire Extinguishers
Save Lives
See It – Grab It – Use It
ATWATER, MN – A car and semi-truck were involved in a collision on U.S highway 12 in Atwater. The semi-truck had stopped to make a left turn when the car rear-ended the truck. The car caught fire upon impact, yet the fire was able to be contained by the semi-truck driver using his portable fire extinguisher. The Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s office provided assistance at the scene and stated that four people were involved in the crash while no serious injuries were reported.
ETNA, ME – An employee of AAA Fire Extinguisher Co. assisted in extinguishing a grass fire on Interstate 95. The employee was traveling from Bangor to Augusta in a company vehicle when he noticed smoke on the highway around 11:30 a.m. Upon further inspection he realized it was a grass fire. He then pulled over his truck, which was stocked with fire extinguishers.
He pulled out two portable fire extinguishers from his truck and passed one to a bystander who had stopped to help extinguish the blaze. The driver and bystander were able to control the fire, while state police arrived shortly after. The driver stated that it was possible that the fire could have spread to the tree line had he and the bystander not intervened. Neither the driver nor bystanders were injured, and the driver was able to complete his scheduled route to Augusta.
Bangor Daily News (Bangor, ME)
GRAY, ME – An assisted living facility fire was contained with no injuries thanks to the quick thinking of a staff member using a fire extinguisher. Residents of Gray Manor are now back at the facility. Gray’s Fire Captain said crews were called to the assisted living facility around 6:05am for a small bedroom fire on the second floor. The residents were evacuated and taken to a local American Legion while crews worked. The Fire Captain stated that a staff member using a fire extinguisher potentially saved the building as it kept the fire contained until crews arrived.
NIPTON, CA – A fire at the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System broke out after a mirror misalignment caused sunlight to burn through electrical wiring. The fire began around 9:30am, according to a Facebook post from the San Bernardino County Fire Department. Fire officials said that flames could be seen near the ninth floor of the Unit 3 tower, but they had apparently died out by the time firefighters arrived. The general manager of the facility, located in the Mojave Desert near the California/Nevada border and the largest solar plant in the world, said a plant worker used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire before fire officials arrived. The plant uses enormous mirrors to reflect sunlight to boilers atop three towers and the sun’s energy heats the water to more than 1,000 degrees, creating steam that spins electricity-generating turbines.
ABERDEEN, WA – The quick actions of an employee kept a small fire from becoming a large fire in the warehouse of a business that sells harbor equipment, according to a press release from the Aberdeen Fire Department. An employee said that he was getting ready to lock up the building for the night when he heard noises out in the warehouse. Thinking someone was inside, the employee investigated and found a wall fire. Upon discovering the fire, the employee deployed a fire extinguisher at the base of the fire before evacuating. The Department Battalion Chief commended the employee’s efforts, and said that firefighters completed the extinguishment and removed metal siding on the building’s exterior to ensure that the fire spread was contained.
ALBANY, GA – Fire authorities in southern Georgia are warning residents to make sure that all electrical items are properly plugged into electrical outlets. This warning was prompted due to a fire that broke out at the Morningside Assisted Living Center. Investigators said a fire started in one of the rooms due to an air conditioning unit not being completely plugged into the outlet. This caused an electrical short which sparked the fire. The fire was quickly put out by an employee of the assisted living center who used a portable fire extinguisher. When fire authorities arrived at the scene, they determined the fire to be completely extinguished, and that all the damage was limited to just the air conditioner and the wall surrounding the window.
CHEYENNE, WY – Several witnesses recounted the extraordinary efforts of four strangers after a car rear-ended a truck just outside of a gas station. Immediately after the driver of the truck was struck by the car, he recalls being able to hearing screaming coming from the car behind him. While he jumped out of his truck, 3 bystanders rushed to the crash scene. The four people then noticed that a fire had started as a result of the crash. Inside the car, the three occupants, two of which were children, could not exit the vehicle due to the damage from the crash.
The driver of the truck ran to the gas station and grabbed a portable fire extinguisher. He then ran back to the car to spray the flames; at the same time the three bystanders work to successfully get the two children and their mother from the car. The truck driver was able to completely extinguish the fire before authorities arrived at the scene. The truck driver, the three bystanders, and the two children were all in good condition follow the event. The mother of the two children was taken to the hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries.
PITTSFIELD, MA – Pittsfield fire authorities were called to a local furniture business during the work day because of a smoldering fire in the back loading dock. Before the fire department arrived, an employee in the business’s wood working shop grabbed a portable fire extinguisher to spray the fire. He was able to completely put out the fire before it was able to spread. The authorities said the employee’s quick action probably saved the building.
The Deputy Fire Chief said that if fires are not extinguished very quickly in old buildings, such as that one, fires can spread extremely fast and destroy the whole building. The Deputy Fire Chief believes the fire was started due to cigarette butts on the ground, combined with the high winds and low humidity.
AUSTIN, TX – A recent scare in co-working space was caused when an older model laptop started to smoke, and then burst into flames. The woman using the laptop had been working for a couple hours when the computer started to loudly buzz right before it started to smoke. The other people using the co-working space jumped up to run away from the area where the laptop was on fire. The owner of the co-working space and another user quickly grabbed a portable fire extinguisher and used it to douse the flames. There were no injuries caused by the incident, and only minor damage caused to the co-working space.
ENID, OK – The students of Adams Elementary School were evacuated due to a fire in the basement of the school. The principal of the elementary school said teachers had reported that there was smoke coming from basement, which prompted the fire alarm and the evacuation. As the school evacuated, the principal ran down to the basement, where she saw flames coming out of a trash can. She then grabbed a portable fire extinguisher and started to put out the flames. The principal had completely put out the fire by the time the fire authorities arrived on the scene, and there was no damage caused, aside from the trash can. As soon as the scene was inspected, and the fire alarm was shut off, students were then allowed back into the building.
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
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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.
