Do You Have a Fire Extinguisher in Your Home and is it Still Pressurized?

FireTower@lemmy.world to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world – 311 points –

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Those years of safety training finally paying off:

Do you know what types of fires your fire extinguisher is rated for? There are several different types. Most modern home fire extinguishers are rated for A (wood/paper), B (liquids like oil fires), and C (electrical), but you may have an older fire extinguisher or landlord who cheaped out on one that only works on some of those types.

If you have a fire that's based on metals (like fireworks) or exothermic chemical reactions, have a different fire extinguisher or call the fire department with special instructions.

Always remember the acronym PASS when using a fire extinguisher:

  1. Pull the pin
  2. Aim at the base of the fire
  3. Squeeze the trigger
  4. Sweep the fire extinguisher side to side to cover all of the fire till the fire is extinguished

If you have a fire that’s based on metals (like fireworks) or exothermic chemical reactions, have a different fire extinguisher or call the fire department with special instructions.

It ought to go without saying, but maybe not for some, so it's worth pointing out that there's a difference between a fire started by fireworks and one fueled by fireworks.

Great point! So if you have a firework that sparks some dry grass or brush, your home fire extinguisher will likely be fine as long as the fire doesn't get too big before you can grab it.

However, if you have a hoard of fireworks that catch fire, you're better off running and calling the fire department than trying to quickly put that out with your home fire extinguisher as it likely won't work.

My extensive training has left me with the impression that yelling "SHORT BURST" and pointing at any red LEDs is equally important