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Fire Extinguisher Basics

 

Your fire extinguisher is one of the most important pieces of safety equipment found in any home or office. While the vast majority of fire extinguishers are never used and just hang on the wall, every year a number are pressed into service and have helped save many thousands of dollars in property and even people's lives.


What are the components of a fire and how does a fire extinguisher put a fire out?

Fire is a rapid chemical reaction between oxygen and a combustible material. Combustible materials can be anything from paper, carpeting, wood, gasoline and other burnable materials found in your home or office. In normal everyday life oxygen and these materials live in perfect harmony with oxygen bathing materials constantly. What is needed to cause combustion between oxygen and a combustible material is heat. Once a combustible material is brought up to a sufficient temperature, the molecules of oxygen begin to react with the molecules in the combustible material. This becomes a sustaining reaction since the reaction of oxygen and combustible materials combining together create more heat.

In total there are three components of a fire, the first one is high temperature. The second ingredient is oxygen and the final link in the puzzle is a combustible material. A fire extinguisher is designed to remove one or more of the three elements needed to sustain a fire. Think of it as a three legged stool, if you remove one of the legs still will fall down, likewise removing one of the three elements needed for combustion will cause the fire to be extinguished.

The most common type of fire involving ordinary combustible materials such as wood, paper or other common construction materials normally involve removing heat from the equation that keeps the fire burning using water. Other fires such as those involving flammable liquids are put out by using fire extinguishers that smother the fire and remove oxygen from the triad of elements needed to support combustion. It is always a good idea to have some fire extinguisher training that will help you distinguish between the type of fire you are encountering and what type of fire extinguisher will help you to put the fire out.

As you can see the principles used by a fire extinguisher to put out a fire are fairly simple and straightforward. Making sure that you have proper fire extinguisher training will give you the confidence to put out a fire should you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to use a fire extinguisher.
 

News

 

Fire Safety in the News

 

Deck The Halls ... Safely - Frederick News Post (subscription)
Deck the halls ... safelyFrederick News Post (subscription), MD - 10 hours agoAnd make sure your smoke detector is working. For outdoor lighting, make sure you use outdoor-rated lights and wiring...
Recall: LifePak CR Plus Automated External Defibrillators

Voluntary Recall Of 325 FT Shot Line For BridgerTM Line Gun

Officials Concerned Fire Danger Increases As People Try To Save On ... - Foster's Daily Democrat
Officials concerned fire danger increases as people try to save on ...Foster's Daily Democrat, NH - 9 hours agoWhen refueling, allow the appliance to cool and refuel outside or in a well-ventilated...
Staying Warm Has Its Dangers - News Sentinel
Staying warm has its dangersNews Sentinel, IN - 1 hour agoHomes and buildings should also have a working carbon monoxide alarm. If a space-heater fire or any other kind of fire erupts, fire personnel...
Dead To Rights Hints IV (PS2) - Softpedia
Dead to Rights Hints IV (PS2)Softpedia, Romania - 10 hours agoHe can throw a fire extinguisher at his enemies while shooting it; he can grab someone and protect himself by using their body. He...
Woman In Fair Condition After Monday Accident - Salisbury Post
Woman in fair condition after Monday accidentSalisbury Post, NC - 9 hours agoHe said bystanders used a fire extinguisher to douse the flames. Alcohol or drugs were not a factor in the collision....