Fire Extinguishers
Save Lives
See It – Grab It – Use It
Waldport, OR – An Oregon couple was waiting at the Port of Alsea to pick up food when they noticed smoke beginning to billow from a docked boat. The couple ran to the boat and discovered that the fire was spreading from a battery located on a commercial boat. Then after successfully searching the surrounding boats for a portable fire extinguisher, they used it to put out the flames before the fire department could arrive. There were no reported injuries from the fire, though the couple told reporters that their food was cold by the time they picked it up.
Newport News Times (Waldport, OR)
Congratulations to our Fire Safety Hero Award winner, Jarrod R. Here’s their fire safety story submitted on our website.
Weeks after moving onto my new property in a rural area I was filling up a large water tote off my newly dug well because the electricians still needed to come permanently hook up my well. A local farmer was driving a large piece of cotton farming equipment down a dirt road but it is a residential area not farm and he hit a low hanging power wire going across the road.
The pop is what got my attention, despite being a tad bit slower than I used to be (disabled veteran) myself and my helper (Cody Osborn) who is also a disabled veteran both took chase approximately 1000 feet from my property we jumped in his truck and we were smart enough to grab a fire extinguisher out of instinct.
[Neighbors] were filming but not actually helping the farmer who was awake but seemed to be in shock from a high voltage connection with the large machine. The wire was down and away from the vehicle but in shock he kept trying to run over it and back forward and was putting himself in more danger. I climbed onto his cab and yelled for him to stop while my helper proceeded to remove him from the vehicle, I felt static pops on my hands strong enough to make my arms twitch as I climbed to the top to put out the small smoking that was there.
We used the entirety of our commercial hand me down fire extinguisher that was well past its prime bit an important safety component for my new shop. It didn’t even touch it, between the electricity still somehow stored In the machine and the very flammable cotton the fire would be put out and then moments later start in a new spot feet away from the original.
We went through 4 fire extinguishers some attached to his equipment and one more from my helpers own vehicle on this machine to keep it from engulfing in flames and we [finally] got him turned around towards my place and brought the large water tote out and used a 12 volt battery and a harbor freight water pump to empty 250 gallons of water as the volunteer fire department came and took over the situation.
While this may not sound like its in support of the value of a fire extinguisher, in fact if it wasn’t for not only my extinguishers but the ones on the machine, due to the volatile nature of cotton and the electric energy somehow stored along the machine [I’m] confident this man would have been burned alive just feet away from people’s porches and driveways. I learned that day that it is important to have multiple fire extinguishers in every area that has a potential risk not just because of the time it saves in an emergency but that when people are rushing to your aide it is important that they have quick access to one if you yourself are not able to preform self care.
Fire department was called | Woodrow, TX V.F.D. responded.
Story submitted by Jarrod R. of Lubbock, TX.
Submit your own story, or nominate a Fire Safety Hero you know here, for a chance to be featured and receive a replacement fire extinguisher.
Congratulations to our Fire Safety Hero Award winner, Blaze F. Here’s their fire safety story submitted on our website.
My tractor started on fire caused by electrical issue. My wife used 2 fire extinguishers. And held fire at bay [until] fire [department] came. Not a total loss [thanks] to my wife’s fast acting.
Fire department was called | Luthersville, GA F.D. responded.
Story submitted by Blaze F. of Gay, GA.
Submit your own story, or nominate a Fire Safety Hero you know here, for a chance to be featured and receive a replacement fire extinguisher.
Manitowoc, WI – Employees at the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office in Wisconsin quickly extinguished a fire. The small fire occurred in an HVAC control panel on the 2nd floor mechanical room on the Administrative side of the building. The fire was put out by two portable fire extinguishers. The Sheriff’s Office says there was no risk to the jail or inmates.
Windber, PA – Fire officials from Windber, Pennsylvania say that a man saved his family after a fire started in the home’s third floor living space. After smelling smoke and hearing the fire alarms go off in his home, the man rushed to the third floor and put out the flames with a portable fire extinguisher. The man was able to completely extinguish the fire before the fire department arrived. No injuries were reported, and only a small area of the third floor suffered damage.
The Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, PA)
Fort Myers, FL – Employees at a Fort Myers car dealership helped to put out a fire that started in the engine of a Volkswagen Beetle. The owner of the vehicle noticed the engine had caught on fire while driving, so he pulled into the service area of a nearby Cadillac dealership for help. The dealership’s employees immediately called 911 and used two portable fire extinguishers to put out the flames. By the time fire crews arrived, the fire was out, so they double-checked the engine to make sure it would not reignite.
Atlanta, GA – A 14-year-old boy in Atlanta is being credited with saving the lives of his neighbors after a fire broke out in the apartment building where he lives. The boy woke up to the smell of smoke, which led him to find flames emerging from his neighbor’s apartment wall. Thankfully, the boy’s mother had previously taught him how to use a fire extinguisher, so he was able to put out a significant portion of the flames with a portable fire extinguisher before fire crews arrived on the scene. While four apartment units were damaged, nobody was injured. One neighbor said that had the boy not helped before firefighters arrived, things may have ended differently.
Arvada, CO – Three young brothers were playing in their yard in Colorado when they noticed a fire at their neighbor’s house. Luckily the boy’s father is a local firefighter, so they knew exactly what to do. They quickly alerted their mother to the fire and helped her locate the family’s portable fire extinguisher. After ensuring the boys were a safe distance away, the mother then used the extinguisher to put out the fire before the fire department could arrive. The oldest boy was even able to draw pictures to help investigators pinpoint the source of the fire.
Patch: Across America (Arvada, CO)
Cherry Hill, NJ – While shopping, a man in Cherry Hill, NJ put out a fire in a Walmart. The man noticed the fire in the apparel section and grabbed a nearby portable fire extinguisher. Then, with the assistance of another shopper, used it to put out the flames. A spokesperson for the Walmart said that they are still unclear what the cause of the fire was, but they did credit the shopper with stopping the fire.
Kingston, MA – A fire broke out at a single-family home in Kingston, MA due to a charging hoverboard. The charging cord, which was being used for the first time, caused the hoverboard’s battery pack to explode. The residents put out the fire with a portable fire extinguisher on their own and reported the fire to authorities. While the house suffered some damage, no one was injured as a result of the fire.
Latest Stories
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 […]
11 year-old honored for fire extinguisher save
Fort Collins, CO – An 11-year-old from Fort Collins, CO is being honored for helping save her neighbor’s home after quickly extinguishing an apartment fire. When she noticed the fire, she quickly ran to grab a nearby portable fire extinguisher. Her swift use of the extinguisher prevented the fire from spreading further and potentially trapping […]
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 […]
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.
