Home Fire Extinguishers

Introduction:

Every home should have a fire extinguisher, especially those that have wood burning stoves or a fireplace. There are approximately 300,000 home fires that occur annually. Fire and smoke alarms play a key role in detecting fires but very few households have fire extinguishers available to extinguish house fires before they get out of control.

Local fire officials would prefer that in the event of a house fire you should simply call 911 and exit your home, leaving the extinguishing of the fire to the fire department. They contend that only “professional” firefighters should deal with fires.

Unfortunately this is the wrong approach. Response time by most rural fire departments is not timely. In many cases they arrive just in time to squelch the ruins. The homeowner response to a house fire can go a long way in either extinguishing the fire completely or at least slow it down while the fire department is responding to the call for help. To be effective in this effort each home should have a fire extinguisher.

There are several home fire extinguisher types that are designed for specific kinds of fires such as ordinary trash, wood and wood products, electrical and petroleum. What will extinguish one kind of fire will not necessarily work on another. The most common fire extinguishers and what type of fire they will extinguish are as follows.  

1. Water extinguisher:

The most common home fire extinguisher is the water extinguishers: They are specially designed to put out fires that are caused by solids such as wood or paper. Water fire extinguishers should never be used on electrical fires.

2. Foam Extinguishers:

It is the most common type of fire extinguisher used for putting out solid and liquid petroleum fires. They should not be used on electrical fires.

3. Dry powder fire extinguishers:

Dry power fire extinguishers are used on flammable liquids, solids and electrical fires. It is the best fire extinguisher for home.

Every home should have at least one functional fire extinguisher, especially homes that have wood stoves or fireplaces. Based on the information above the dry powder fire extinguisher is the best choice as it will extinguish most any fire that may occur in the home.

I recommend that before purchasing a home fire extinguisher visit your local fire department and ask for advice on what type to purchase. Each state has different requirements for home fire extinguishers and most fire departments offer classes on fire extinguisher use. In the event you have a house fire remember the first three rules; evacuate the occupants, call 911, and combat the fire if it is within your capability.

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Home Fire Prevention

Smoke and Fire Detector Installation

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