83%

of average individuals can properly use a fire extinguisher

the average untrained person can use a fire extinguisher safely and effectively to help save lives and protect property

95%

of the time fire extinguishers effectively extinguish fires

100%

of individuals studied used a fire extinguisher safely

371,000 residential fires are extinguished by fire extinguishers yearly

Fire Extinguishers
Save Lives

See It – Grab It – Use It

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.

CBS13 (Sacramento, CA)

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.

mLive (Blackman Township, MI)

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)

Grand Forks, ND – Fire crews were recently called to respond to a fire at hotel in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Upon arriving on the scene, they discovered smoke inside the building, but no active fire. According to a statement, a portable fire extinguisher was used by someone at the hotel to completely put out the fire. There were no injuries as a result of the fire, and the cause of the fire was determined to be an electrical issue with an air conditioner.

Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, ND)

Colorado Springs, CO – A group of good Samaritans spotted a small fire while hiking and rushed to put it out before firefighters got to the scene. They spotted the fire near the parking lot as their hike was ending. The group was able to find a portable fire extinguisher nearby and used it to control the flames until fire crews arrived. A spokesperson for the city of Manitou Springs says firefighters were able to gain 100 percent control of the fire very quickly.

KKTV 11 News (Colorado Springs, CO)

Portsmouth, NH – A man was working in a residential neighborhood when he noticed that a nearby porch was engulfed in flames. He immediately grabbed the portable fire extinguisher he keeps with him, ran over to the fire, and used it to extinguish most of the flames. Portsmouth firefighters were able to knock down the remaining flames. Damage was limited to the porch railing and the overhanging part of the roof.

Seacoastonline (Portsmouth, NH)

West Sand Lake, NY – On a recent Friday evening, a woman was watching a livestream of a pig enclosure at a farm 80 miles away when the pig knocked a heat lamp into a pile of hay. As the woman watched the rapidly spreading fire, she began calling every phone number she could find for the farm. She was finally able to connect with the farmer and alert him to the fire in the pig enclosure. She then watched on the live stream as two farmers rushed into the enclosure, one who led the pig out while the other used a portable fire extinguisher to put out the flames. No animals or humans suffered injuries as a result of the fire.

CBS News (West Sand Lake, NY)




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Research

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Portable Fire Extinguishers Dramatically Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Building Fires


Extinguisher Infographic

Portable Fire Extinguishers are Safe & Effective Tools for Building Occupants

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See It, Grab It, Use It Infographic


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Types of Fire Extinguishers Infographic

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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.

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