24/7 Emergency Service
Fire Extinguishers and How to use it.
1/2/2020 (Permalink)
Team member Debbie learns how to P.A.S.S a fire extinguisher at the Waterloo Fire Department's open house.
A friend and local insurance agent recently told us about how he had to use a fire extinguisher for a fire that started behind a wall. He was working on a do it yourself project in the bathroom and was soldering two copper pipes together which created a small rumbling fire. He first smelled the fire and then could hear it behind a wall. He quickly got a hammer and his fire extinguisher from the garage. He took the hammer to the wall where he smelled, heard and sensed the heat. He could see the pipes that were heating up and released the foam from the extinguisher right to the source of the fire. It was a quick decision which probably saved his home.
FIRST, ALERT YOUR FAMILY AND FIRE STATION.
Still, it is important to consider the steps you are going to take if you decide to use a fire extinguisher. Personal safety is extremely important so we do not recommend to try to put out a large fire that has already spread. Use your best judgment. Evacuating your family and calling the fire department should be some of your first steps to take. After using a fire extinguisher, the source may re-ignite so it’s important the fire department can inspect it.
There are 5 main types of extinguishers – water, foam, dry powder, C02, and wet chemical. The type of extinguisher you should use is according to the class of fire. All extinguishers should have the label of which class it's suitable for. Please take some time to find out what label(s) your fire extinguisher has.
5 Class Fires – A, B, C, D and K (What does it mean?)
Class A Fire – fires on wood, paper, rubber, plastics. “Ordinary combustibles.”
Class B Fire – fires in flammable liquid such as gas, alcohol, or oils.
Class C Fire – fires involved in electrical equipment or electrical fires.
Class D Fire – fires in combustible metals such as titanium.
Class K Fire – Fires in cooking oils & grease.
Most common extinguishers are a multipurpose dry powder for class A, B, and C Fires. According to homedepot.com, Extinguisher for Class B Fires can be suitable for cooking grease or oil fires (Class K) in a home. Commercial Kitchen should always have a fire extinguisher specifically for Class K fires. We recommend keeping a few extinguishers around your home. The kitchen, garage, and in the second level are some of the locations we suggest having them in.
*Fire Extinguishers should be examined annually for maintenance.
Your local fire department might be able to examine your extinguisher to see if it’s still in good condition. One of our employees did exactly that at an open house our Waterloo Fire department held in September. They went as far as to double-check to see if that extinguisher was on a recall list. Good thing they checked because it was recalled and our employee was able to trade it in for new extinguisher. In this open house, they also had hands-on training on how to use a fire extinguisher. We recommend checking out some of the open houses your local fire department might hold. It’s fun and educating for you and your whole family.
Remember how to use a fire extinguisher with the acronym P.A.S.S.
P- Pull the pin
A- Aim the hose at the base of the fire from a safe distance
S- Squeeze the lever
S- Sweep the hose from side to side until no more fire.
If you don't have a fire extinguisher, we want to encourage you to get a few for your home. Being educated and prepared is the best thing you can do for you and your family's safety.