Home fire fighting kit

[the-gnole]

How many here have got fire extinguishers/blankets etc in their homes for use to assist an escape from the home in case of a fire?

I have managed to get hold of three different types of extinguisher, foam, powder and water, I don't have a CO2 one yet, have a fire blanket for the kitchen and a smoke alarm on each level, three floors here.

Also who has had any type of advice for what to do if you need to use an extinguisher?

[Carrot Cruncher]

Just a couple of points

The general advice (from my H&S days) used to be not to tackle the fire at all yourself but to leave the building and call the fire brigade. Not always practical or even always the best option, but if you don't have the relevant training it may well be the safest option.

If you do have fire extinguishers and the relevant training/experience then you still need to make sure they are inspected on a regular basis by the appropriately trained people. Don't leave it in the kitchen for years and hope it works when you need it.

CO2 Extinguishers can be dangerous if used in a confined space as they displace the oxygen

A rope ladder to hang out of an upstairs window is a very good idea, but by far the best prep is smoke alarms with working batteries

And it may sound obvious but make sure you are using the right extinguisher. Up untill 10 or so years ago the whole extinguisher was colour coded to show what it contained, then to comply with some or other regulations they made them all red with a colour coded patch to show what they contain .

[Meyou]

Heh, I have a sort of...duel system.

Part one, is a half-dozen or so handheld powder extinguishers, for personal firefighting.

Part two is my 'Automated' system. Anywhere that I figure there's a risk of fire, I place a single, full to capacity 20oz CO2 canister. If the fire gets close to it, raises the tempreture, and BANG! Bust Disk pops, and CO2 sprays everywhere. If I'm not home....good chance it'll at least slow down the fire, if not put it out completely. And if I am home, its....VERY...loud. Loud enough to need ear defenders!

[diamond lil]

We've got a wee one for kitchen fires. Anything huge I'd just grab the "important stuff" bag and climb out the window

[lisaloolibell]

weve got one of this little fire extinguishers oh and a ww2 auxiliary fire service helmet

[Attack Warning Red]

Up untill 10 or so years ago the whole extinguisher was colour coded to show what it contained, then to comply with some or other regulations they made them all red with a colour coded patch to show what they contain .

Yeah, I always thought that was a huge step backwards... We went from being instantly able to see what was what, to having to read labels - not the best in a time-critical situation!

[ro2935]

3 small extinguishers, 2 upstairs and one down, a fire blanket in the kitchen, 2 hammers on the upstairs window sills in case we have to go out that way, smoke alarms in all rooms and a carbon monoxide detector near the heating boiler.

[allan]

I have four 2kilo and two 8kilo dry powder extinguishers spread between the house and garage. Dry powder is good for most fires and I don't need the confusion of finding the right type in an emergency.

[hobo]

Part two is my 'Automated' system. Anywhere that I figure there's a risk of fire, I place a single, full to capacity 20oz CO2 canister. If the fire gets close to it, raises the tempreture, and BANG! Bust Disk pops, and CO2 sprays everywhere. If I'm not home....good chance it'll at least slow down the fire, if not put it out completely. And if I am home, its....VERY...loud. Loud enough to need ear defenders!

Where can I find out more about these?

Thanks.

Hobo

[the-gnole]

http://www.essentialfiresafety.co.uk/au ... nguishers/

Might give a bit of a lead Hobo, I think primarily they are for boats