Fire Extinguishers
Save Lives
See It – Grab It – Use It
Ithaca, NY – Police in Ithaca, NY publicly thanked a local school bus driver after he used a fire extinguisher to knock down flames of a house fire until the fire department arrived. The bus driver, Keith Whitaker, had been a volunteer firefighter for 22 years. After noticing “a flicker out of the corner of [his] eye that didn’t look right,” Whitaker told his dispatcher to call 911 and ran up to the home with the fire extinguisher from the school bus. Ithaca police say Whitaker potentially saved people from injury and loss of life by alerting the occupants and knocking the flames down. Police declared the house fire an arson investigation.
Appleton, WI – Appleton, Wis. homeowners successfully used a fire extinguisher after calling 911 when a space heater caught fire. While fire crews encountered smoke, there were no activated smoke alarms. They confirmed the fire was all out and had not spread. The Appleton Fire Department reminded residents to have a properly maintained fire extinguisher near an exit and learn how and when to use a fire extinguisher. Also, maintain properly operating smoke alarms on each level of their residence, and only use maintained space heaters and follow proper safety guidance for the use of space heaters.
San Diego, CA – The quick thinking of a pair of good Samaritans is credited with putting out a small San Diego fire. The pair used fire extinguishers to put out the fire that broke out in front of a business. The fire was extinguished by the time fire crews arrived.
The San Diego Union-Tribune (San Diego, CA)
Westward, MA – Westford, Mass. Fire Lieutenant leapt into action after noticing a restaurant’s plastic igloo was on fire as he was driving by. Fire Lieutenant Donald R. Parsons used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. The fire started with Christmas lights that were plugged into two extension cords, including one with exposed wires that was wrapped with duct tape. Officials remind the public to check extension cords before use and discard if the insulation is cracked, worn, or damaged.
Town of Culpeper – Discarded fireworks that combusted are to blame for a trash truck fire that was put out with a fire extinguisher. A Culpeper, Vir. neighbor was walking his dog, Spanky, when he noticed white smoke pouring out of the trash truck. He grabbed a spare fire extinguisher and ran it over to the trash truck driver whose own extinguisher was nearly depleted. Officials reminded the public to not put combustible material in the trash.
Culpeper Star-Exponent (Culpeper, VA)
Oconto, Wis. – Employees at a specialty products plant in Oconto, Wisconsin used a dry chemical fire extinguisher to knock down a fire inside of a paper baler used for recycling. While the fire stayed in the machine, there was a lot of smoke within the plant. No injuries were reported. In a separate nearby fire emergency, an Oconto police officer used a portable fire extinguisher from his squad car to knock down a fire on front exterior of a one-story home.
Green Bay Press-Gazette (Green Bay, WI)
Fort Kent, Maine – A fire emergency in Maine could have been much worse if not for the preparedness of the homeowners. Fire officials say a young man was trying to rig up a cell phone charger and splicing some wires before setting it on bedside table to take a shower. The young man’s parents, who were at home, heard smoke detectors and saw smoke coming from the bedroom. The homeowners used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames. Damage was limited to a burned the nightstand and scorched bed. There were no injuries.
St. John Valley Times/Fiddlehead Focus (Madawaska, ME)
Worchester, Mass. – Two Massachusetts firefighters are recognized for their bravery saving lives in the face of separate house fires that were put out with fire extinguishers. Firefighter/EMT Christopher Veracka of the Kingston Fire Dept. was acknowledged for rescuing his next-door neighbors, who are also his wife’s family, from a house fire and knocking the fire down with a fire extinguisher. Lt. Christopher Mahoney of the Carver Fire Dept. was also recognized for saving a woman who was trapped by a fire on the second floor of her home.
Two Rivers, Wis. – Firefighters in Two Rivers, Wisconsin used a fire extinguisher to put out an overnight electrical fire at an assisted living facility. The firefighters also helped safely evacuate all residents. The fire caused about $20,000 in damage.
WLUK Fox 11 News (Green Bay, WI)
Dover-Foxcroft, Maine – A Maine homeowner knocked down a cooking fire with a fire extinguisher before crews arrived, which saved the home from severe damage. Firefighters said the fire broke out while the resident was cooking wet potatoes in hot grease on the stove. The fire flared up into the microwave and then into the cupboards.
The Piscataquis Observer (Dover-Foxcroft, ME)
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.
