A Guide to Fire Extinguishers and Fire Blankets for Home Use
When we go out to work, shop or to socialise, we expect there to be fire extinguishing equipment available to keep us protected and safe. At home, though, we often don’t think about it – we might install a smoke alarm and spare a thought for how we would evacuate the premises in an emergency, but that is about the limit. Keeping a fire extinguisher and/or a fire blanket in the home is common sense – you’re protecting yourself, your family and pets and a lifetime’s worth of possessions. Here’s our guide to domestic fire extinguishers and blankets.
Room assessment
First of all, you’ll want to consider your rooms, their uses and the overall layout of your home. If you have a garage that you use for DIY or crafting, for example, you need an extinguisher in there. Kitchens should always have a fire blanket – cooking-related fires are one of the most common fire emergencies in the home and, because of the potential for the fire to be oil-based, blankets are the most versatile and easy to use fire-fighting kit.
Ensure that you have some kind of extinguisher on each floor of your home – if for no other reason than you might need to clear a route out of the home.
Know your extinguishers
There are different types of fire extinguisher, suitable for use with different types of fire. You and your family members need to be familiar with the extinguishers you keep in your home and what they can be used for. The common types of fire and extinguisher are:
Class A fires involve solid combustibles, like wood, paper and textiles
Class B fires involve flammable liquids, like petrol, diesel and oils
Class C fires involve gases
Powder fire extinguishers can be used for all three classes of fire, as they operate by using a compressed nitrogen ‘powder’ to smother and starve the fire of oxygen.
Water fire extinguishers can only be used on class A fires – they work by cooling the heart of the fire and thus removing the fuel from the equation.
Foam fire extinguishers can be used against class A and B fires. They work in a similar way to water extinguishers, but with the added ‘foam’ component, which seals off the surface of the fire so any vapours cannot reignite.
CO2 fire extinguishers can be used only against class B and electrical fires. These extinguishers work by displacing the oxygen from the fire, causing the flames to immediately die out.
Fire blankets are usually made from a fire-resistant fibreglass, and used to smother the fire, starving it of oxygen and preventing it from spreading. A popular choice in the kitchen and in smaller spaces like caravans and boats.
Training
It is not enough to simply buy an extinguisher or blanket, put it in a cupboard and forget about it. You and your family should be familiar with how to use it – when a fire starts, there won’t be time to read and understand the instructions. Follow the P.A.S.S. method for a quick and easy way of remembering what to do with an extinguisher:
- Pull the pin
- Aim at the base of the fire
- Squeeze the trigger/lever
- Sweep the nozzle side-to-side
For blankets, they are typically supplied folded in a storage unit. Pull the tabs or straps at the bottom of the unit and the blanket will come out. Spread it out (it should have been packed for quick deployment) and position over the fire.
