Maximize the Effectiveness of Your Fire Extinguisher in a House Fire

11/14/2018 (Permalink)

Use a portable fire extinguisher to create an evacuation path.

Fire prevention is so important, but it can only go so far and sometimes a fire happens despite our best intentions. In this situation, do you know where your nearest fire extinguisher is? Or how and if you should you use it?

Fire extinguishers are kind of like that antique porcelain figurine that you inherited. You know you definitely can’t get rid of it, but you don’t really want to look at it. However, unlike that figurine, your fire extinguisher will come in handy in the event of an emergency. Before an emergency strikes, you should have a fire extinguisher in an accessible location, where fires are likely to start, like the kitchen or garage. You should also have a fire extinguisher on each floor of your home. Once you have them placed you should also routinely check to make sure they are up to date.

Now, you have a fire extinguisher, awesome. But unless you plan to throw the whole canister at the fire and hope that it works, you will also need to know how and when to use it. Compared to the size of many house and business fires, portable fire extinguishers are insignificantly small. As such, they are meant to be used to either create an evacuation path or put out very small fires before they have had a chance to get going. A fire that is small enough to be contained using a fire extinguisher will be confined to one area and will not have begun spreading beyond the point of origin.

In the event of a fire, you should always begin by sounding the fire alarm and calling the fire department. Then you should identify your evacuation path. It’s possible that the flames could flare up when you spray the extinguisher, so you want to make sure you have a place to run if this should happen.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends using the P.A.S.S. system to use a fire extinguisher. First (P), pull the pin to break the tamper seal. Second (A), aim the extinguisher nozzle at the base of the fire. Third (S), squeeze the handle, this releases the extinguishing foam. Last (S), sweep the nozzle back and forth at the base of the fire.  These four simple steps cover the mechanics of operating a fire extinguisher.

Always remember to be aware of your evacuation route when trying to extinguish a fire and be ready to vacate the area should the situation escalate. You can find more tips and explanations on this topic on OSHA’s website.