July 25, 2002

Fire Extinguishers Are A Necessity In The Home

Little is more devastating than a fire in your home or your place of business, says a North Dakota State University safety specialist. That is why a working fire extinguisher is so important.

According to George Maher of the NDSU Extension Service, "Fuel, oxygen, and heat need to be present for a fire to exist. If any one of these is removed with a fire extinguisher there will not be a fire."

Maher says there are four classes of fire. They are classified by type because of the difference in what can be safely used to fight the fire and put it out with.

• Class A fires involve dry solid combustibles such as paper, wood, cloth, etc. Most house fires are Class A. A Class A extinguisher should be used to cool the burning materials lower than the temperature of ignition.
• When a fire is fueled by petroleum or oil based products such as gasoline, diesel fuel, oil, cooking oil, or grease, it is a Class B fire. These fires are difficult to extinguish with water, a Class B fire extinguisher will smother the fire and suffocate it by shutting off the oxygen needed for combustion, Maher says.
• A Class C fire is electrical. This kind of fire involves an electrical motor, electric switches, controllers, lights, appliances, or even electronic items such as a television set, CD or DVD player, etc. These fires require a Class C extinguisher which is not water based. "Electricity and water do not mix, squirting water on a fire in a burning television set or on an electric range can be deadly," Maher says.
• Fires involving flammable metals, such as magnesium, sodium, potassium, or titanium must be extinguished with a Class D extinguisher. According to Maher, these fires are extremely hot. A pail of dry sand will also extinguish these fires.

"Fire departments urge homeowners to get out of the house first, then call 911 for help. You can use a hand-held extinguisher first if you are immediately on the scene when the fire starts," Maher says.

According to Maher, most fires that occur in the home or on the farm can be put out with a Class ABC extinguisher, if the fire is caught early and the extinguisher is big enough. Extinguishers are sized by their weight in pounds. A two and half pound ABC fire extinguisher will provide about 15-20 seconds of fire fighting ability. About 30-45 seconds for a five pound extinguisher. "These times are not very long, so it pays to have a large enough extinguisher and the knowledge of how to use it," Maher says.

According to Maher, a two and one half pound extinguisher can be adequate for a specific home area such as the kitchen. A five pound extinguisher is recommended for general home use. Tractors and combines should be equipped with a ten pound extinguisher as a minimum and farm buildings a 20 or 25 pound extinguisher.

PASS is the acronym for how to use a fire extinguisher; Pull, Aim, Squeeze, and Sweep.

• Pull the locking pin that keeps the handle valve in the ‘safe’ position.
• Aim the nozzle of the extinguisher at the base of the fire.
• Squeeze the valve handle against the handle of the extinguisher.
• Sweep the extinguisher back and forth, start at the base of the fire, and advance only as the fire is being extinguished.

According to Maher, never walk on material that was burning, it could possibly re-ignite, surround you and trap you in the fire. "Do not expect the extinguisher to last a long time, while expelling its contents at the fire. Be prepared to back out of the situation if it gets out of hand; always have an escape route in mind and constantly re-evaluate it as you fight the fire," Maher says.

Stop, Drop, and Roll is the procedure if your clothing should catch fire. This is extremely difficult to do since the natural, human thing to do is to run from the fire.

• Stop any running movement.
• Drop to the ground.
• Roll over to smother and extinguish the flames.

"Some synthetic fabrics will be more difficult to stop from burning, but Stop, Drop, and Roll is still the most effective way to put out the fire," Maher says.

According to Maher fire extinguishers need periodic attention to keep them functional! Dry chemical extinguishers are filled with a powder that will ‘set up’ with time, only to be completely ineffective when needed. "These extinguishers should be checked every month and tipped and rocked back and forth to keep the powder loose and flowable. All fire extinguishers require checking for being fire-ready at least once every year," Maher says.

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Source: George Maher, (701) 231-8288, gmaher@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tome Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu