Fire Extinguishers. Have you ever needed one?

[OH_Varmntr]

After installing my wood burner this past weekend and running a few test fires through it, I decided I brush up on my safety items. So I went and bought new smoke detectors to replace all the ones in the house since we moved in in February and have no idea how old they are.

I also bought a 5lb extinguisher and hung it on the wall about 6 feet away from the wood burner. I realize now that I could use atleast a few more around the house just in case.

Have you needed one and didn't have one, or have you used one in your home when dealing with firewood?

 

[Guido Salvage]

I keep a number of fire extinguishers around the house as well as in my vehicles. Another item that I picked up and installed next to my stove was a carbon monoxide alarm.

I have only had one occasion to use a fire extinguisher related to firewood and that was when my '62 Studebaker 4x4 caught fire as a result of a fuel leak. Between the extinguisher and a pair of insulated coveralls I was able to save the truck (and the woods).

 

[loadthestove]

Luckily i have never needed one.I do however have one in my home,I also keep a couple of ten pounders in my shop.Hope I never need them, but if I do I'm prepared.

 

[IHDiesel73L]

I keep one at the bottom of the basement steps and one at the top (wood furnace is in the basement), one in the garage, and one in the kitchen. I need to get one for my new wood hauler though-I've never carried an extinguisher in my vehicles but given the fact that I'm always carrying around equipment, gas, etc...it's a good idea.

 

[Dalmatian90]

The one time I needed one...I had my Volvo that burned oil, and my extinguisher was in my truck

Stopped in the middle of nowhere, CT (Union for the folks around here) to put in some oil in when the light went on. Kept a 5 quart jug in the trunk for this purpose.

Spilled a bit on the hot manifold, then heard the "whoosh" -- I stood there blowing as hard and fast as I could to keep the fire away from the plug wires till the oil burned off...managed to pull that off!

Also consider hooking up a good quality, tough to kink 3/4" hose stored next to (and hooked up to) your water tank, in a length long enough to reach anywhere inside or around the outside of your house. The 20-40 or more gallons in the pressure tank even if the power is off will do a heck of a lot, and a "fire" style nozzle is pretty cheap at the discount stores these days too, though a good "squeeze" style will work well too.

 

[ray benson]

We keep fire extinguishers in kitchen and laundry room along with an attached garage. A small spray bottle of water for any embers around stove and a Chimfex flare sit on mantel above the woodstove. Also a very flexible 5/8" garden hose is hooked up in the furnace room - that will reach anywhere in the house . It is attached to the main water line with a ball valve. A pair of welders gloves sit next to the woodstove. Several smoke detectors and a carbon monoxide monitor are a must.

 

[avalancher]

I have extinguishers in my truck, house, and several in my shop, but have never had to use them except to put out the fire in some clown who sat in an intersection watching his car burn. Didnt save the car by any means, but at least it did save the pavement.

 

[OH_Varmntr]

I'll add a water hose, carbon monoxide detector, and a few more extinguishers to my list.

 

[Quacker152]

Yep i needed one!!

I was working on a B&S 5hp horz in my carport. both cars were just outside the carport.
I cranked the engine and gas started running out where the carb sets on the tank. Problem!!
So i quickly turned the switch off, good thinking!! THEN it backfired blowing flame onto the gas spilling out on the top of the tank!! FIRE, flames, quick, kick it out of the carport!!! NO!! will go next to the cars, bad problem!! Help!!
Fire Extinguisher in the kitchen, ( wife dangerous cook) So I ran full speed into the kitchen to get if, when my wife, seeing me with the EXTINGUISHER running faster than Stihl asks...... Is there a problem???? I politely said
as i ran out the door.. No Problem!!! One squirt and it was out. Lesson learned, always have an escape route and a fire extinguisher when working with petro!!!!

 

[stumpy75]

I have several Chimfex sitting next to the wood stove, and several extinguishers in the house. Never had to use either one in the house, but my neighbor had a chimney fire that I was the first to discover. After calling the fire department, I went over with one of the Chimfex and threw it in his stove. The fire was out by the time the fire department arrived.

FD did a thorough check of the house, and then the neighbor had a sweep come out and check the stack. No problems (other than still a lot of creosote).

Used an extinguisher on a lawn mower once about 6 years ago. Had spilled some gas and wasn't carefull... Made a mess, but saved the mower.

 

[Constrictor]

i had to use my fire extinguisher last month to tap a wedge under a cabinet toekick.

 

[Coldfront]

I used one once and it saved my snowmobile. I was welding on the belly plate and a spark hit a small gas leak, flame on! burnt up a few hoses but not bad, it could have been a total burn up in another minuet. Btw I was out in the driveway welding on it not in my garage.

 

[OH_Varmntr]

I have several Chimfex sitting next to the wood stove, and several extinguishers in the house. Never had to use either one in the house, but my neighbor had a chimney fire that I was the first to discover. After calling the fire department, I went over with one of the Chimfex and threw it in his stove. The fire was out by the time the fire department arrived.

FD did a thorough check of the house, and then the neighbor had a sweep come out and check the stack. No problems (other than still a lot of creosote).

Used an extinguisher on a lawn mower once about 6 years ago. Had spilled some gas and wasn't carefull... Made a mess, but saved the mower.

Menards had the Chimfex extinguishers on sale the other day. I thought about picking up a few of them. Sounds like they really do work.

 

[kevin j]

consider hooking up a good quality, tough to kink 3/4" hose stored next to (and hooked up to) your water tank, in a length long enough to reach anywhere inside or around the outside of your house. The 20-40 or more gallons in the pressure tank even if the power is off will do a heck of a lot, and a "fire" style nozzle is pretty cheap at the discount stores these days too, though a good "squeeze" style will work well too.




+1. I built a cavity into a stairwell near the stove (and close to an outside door) that runs 3/4 copper toe the basement lines. Ball valve keeps the hose dry until needed. Pretty cheap to do while doing that area anyway. Painted plywood panel and magnetic catches it is barely noticeable.

FE all over, house, garage vehicles.....

And I got two of the big stainless steel pressurized water ones at a school auction. Keep one at each end of the house. water is better in a lot of cases, if the fire is outsdie of the stove, but would probably damage the stove.

I have used in a car fire, and one othe rmachine fire personally.

at work, been on two big fires that almost took a wood overhead trestle bridge. and another where 26 portables was not enough and the machine burned up.
so maybe a bit over paranoid?

"You can never have too much ammunition......"

 

[CJ8Ted]

I have some smoke, some heat, and some carbon monxide detectors all around the house. I have a hose hooked up to my water heater that will reach the woodstove area. I also have fire extingushers all over the house (H2o and dry chem), barn, on the tractors, and in the vehicles. The Jeep has 2 a 2.5 ABC at my leg and a 5 lb with hose filled with Purple K on the roll bar because of this vid. The first extingusher in the pit was me, I grabbed it off of the closest Jeep. We were trail cutting (cutting trees with chainsaws ) at an off road park and this hapened during a mid day break.

A to Z Fire - YouTube

I know there others on AS who are in the middle of the woods with tractors, trucks, Jeeps dont forget about extingushers outside the home as well. After reading this thread I plan to increase the water heater line to get up stairs. and I'm going to Google (Chimfex)
Thanks to all, good site

Ted

 

[HILLBILLYREDNEC]

Being retired FD battalion officer, I am one who has them in every vehicle and every room in the house. I agree with some hose for the in case of fire use a hose theory,proof a hose that is weather proof is a good idea. One type of hose that is really easy to store is pony hose,basically flat nylon tube.

 

[DieselTech]

I've had to use fire extinguishers a time or two, fortunately not related to a wood stove.

The most memorable time was when I was working as a mechanic for a large trucking company. I was on 3rd shift, and a driver dropped his truck off for something. Steer tires, I think. It was winter, so he parked it inside the shop, one bay over from where I was working. Our shop was separated into two sections, the truck shop on one side, the offices in the middle, and the trailer shop on the other side. I was the only one in the truck shop, and I was replacing a wheel seal. As I was working, it sounded like someone was welding. I ignored it at first, figured it was just the trailer shop. There was always something that needed to be welded on a trailer, anything from mud flap brackets to jack legs. After it continued for more than a few seconds, I got up from where I was and went looking, because something didn't seem right.

As soon as I stood up, I saw smoke rolling out from under the hood of the truck that the driver had just left. I grabbed an extinguisher off the wall near me and ran to the truck. I hit it once or twice, to no avail. I ran to the office, stuck my head in and yelled "Truck's on fire!" We got it put out. Turns out two of the battery cables had shorted together and caught fire. We were just very fortunate that if it had to happen, it happened in the shop with us right there, as opposed to going down the road, or worse; parked at a truck stop with the driver asleep in the bunk.

 

[Guido Salvage]

Being retired FD battalion officer, I am one who has them in every vehicle and every room in the house. I agree with some hose for the in case of fire use a hose theory,proof a hose that is weather proof is a good idea. One type of hose that is really easy to store is pony hose,basically flat nylon tube.

Really? First an EMT/Medic and now a "retired FD battalion officer"? Based on your unverified claims in the past, call me a skeptic. This is your chance to redeem yourself, what department did you work with?

 

[RacerX]

When I was a kid I had a pop tart get stuck in the toasted and it ignited the kitchen cabinets, countertop and window treatments. Within seconds the house filled with smoke. My father had always taught us that in an emergency to use the fire extinguisher right next to the kitchen. I used it to extinguish the blaze, probably seconds before it would have been burning out of control.

There have been so many fires related to pop tarts that there is a warning label on the box.

IMO interconnected smoke detectors are a must. A battery SD in your bedroom on the second floor won't do much good if a fire starts in the basement.

 

[Guido Salvage]

Being retired FD battalion officer...

©

If that is true, why would you ever post a comment such as this????

You use gas to clean and water to neutralize.

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