Fire Extinguishers
Save Lives
See It – Grab It – Use It
Santa Barbara, Calif. – An Amtrak employee used a fire extinguisher to put out a fire inside the Amtrak station before it could spread. It began when a man used newspapers to start a fire in a nonoperational fireplace located inside the passenger waiting area. Witnesses observed the man warming himself in front of the fire. He was arrested for arson.
Santa Barbara Independent (Santa Barbara, CA)
Fish Creek, Wis. – Two recent fires in Door County, Wisconsin were doused by people making split-second decisions with fire extinguishers. “The impact of those extinguishers was significant,” said Gibraltar Fire Department Chief Andy Bertges. “I don’t think a lot of people realize what was prevented and saved. It’s hundreds of thousands of dollars’ difference and peoples’ livelihoods that were protected. I think it’s just amazing.”
Door County Pulse (Baileys Harbor, WI)
Green Bay, Wis. – Fire crews in Green Bay only used a fire extinguisher to put out a fire in an apartment unit. After the fire was extinguished, firefighters remained at the scene to clear the apartment of smoke. The total damage caused by the fire is estimated at $1,500. No injuries were reported.
Branson, MO – The quick response of a Branson, MO police officer armed with a fire extinguisher kept a fire at a commercial building from spreading. “We use the phrase big fires start small, small fires produce a huge amount of smoke and smoke is what kills,” Branson Fire Rescue Chief Ted Martin said. “When you look at this (fire), it was small, but it produced a huge amount of black smoke that a police officer was able to see, so he could make that call for help.”
Branson Tri-Lakes News (Hollister, MO)
Burlington, VT – The quick thinking of a newspaper carrier helped keep a 3 a.m. fire from spreading by grabbing and using a fire extinguisher he kept in his vehicle. The fire chief speculated the situation could have been much worse had the carrier not intervened.
Burlington Free Press (Burlington, VT)
South Lake Tahoe, CA — Police officers in South Lake Tahoe sprang into action Friday, putting out a wildland fire burning near a local high school around 6 a.m. Officers responded to the fire burning near South Tahoe High. One of the officers whose bodycam was recording at the time, got his fire extinguisher from his patrol car and quickly put out the flames that had burned an area about 800 square feet.
Meridian, ID — A local man is being called a hero after he helped save a mother and baby from a vehicle fire alongside a highway. The Meridian Fire Department told reporters that they received a call about a car that had caught fire just before noon on a recent Wednesday. Upon arriving on the scene, the firefighters found a man using a portable fire extinguisher to prevent the flames from spreading. The Meridian Fire Department was able to extinguisher the fire and reported that as a result of the man’s actions, there were no injuries from the fire.
CBS 2 IdahoNews (Meridian, ID)
Simons Island, GA – An employee at a popular restaurant in Georgia recently had to jump into action to stop the spread of a fire. A fire had started in the ceiling of the smokehouse when the local fire-rescue division received the call to respond. Upon arriving on the scene, they found an employee using a portable fire extinguisher to stop the flames from spreading. The Glynn County Fire-Rescue Division was able to completely extinguish the fire, later saying that a grease buildup around an exhaust fan was sparked by a rising wood ember, but that service was only slightly interrupted as a result of the fire.
The Brunswick News (Simons Island, GA)
Blackman Township, MI – A local fire department was called to respond to a house fire recently after a hoverboard caught on fire while it was charging. The Director of the Blackman-Leoni Department of Public Safety said that fire crews were called to the house, but the residents had already been able to quickly put out the flames with a portable fire extinguisher. There were no reported injuries as a result of the fire and only minor damage.
Shrewsbury, MA – On a recent Sunday, a resident at a hotel in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts had to jump into action to prevent the spread of a fire in one of the building’s apartment units. The fire started in the unit’s kitchen on the stove top and microwave. The resident immediately jumped into action and used a portable fire extinguisher to keep the fire from spreading until firefighters could arrive. While the kitchen area was severely damaged from the fire, it was contained to the unit and did not spread further.
Shrewsbury Patch (Shrewsbury, MA)
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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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.
