Fire Extinguisher

[Sharon the Cat]

We were working out where to fix our fire extinguisher last night. Will probably fix just inside habitation door, which is also close to fridge,hob & oven. Seeing runnach's thread about the fire in his MH today I wondered.

Where do you keep your fire extinguisher?

 

[Smaug]

Just where you have described. My reasoning was that I can grab it on the way out & then decide if I want to come back in! There was also the idea of having one in the cab too, which I quite like the idea of in case of an engine or cab electrical fire. I may well buy anther one to place on the hanging locker side behind the passenger seat, or possibly on the floor behind the driver's seat.

Word of warning; it isn't always a good idea to put the fire out . . . . just sometimes, it could be advantageous to let the damn thing burn & then claim on the insurance. But you do need to make the decision quickly & if your cover isn't up to it, then the wrong decision could be disastrous.

Many years ago I actually used an extinguisher on a car fire. The car had stopped at a side junction with smoke coming out from under the bonnet, I stopped, grabbed my extinguisher, ran to it & paused briefly before tackling it - are you sure you want me to do this? I asked. Yes, Yes, YEEES, was the response, so I popped the bonnet & squirted the powder over the seat of the fire.

I put the fire out, but as described by Runnach, it was a mess & the car was not driveable anyway. I reckon he might have been better letting it burn & claiming for a total loss!

 

[mark61]

Fire blankets are useful on some fires if caught early. Much less mess. May be worth having as well as an extinguisher.

 

[Sharon the Cat]

Fire blankets are useful on some fires if caught early. Much less mess. May be worth having as well as an extinguisher.

Yes, a fire blanket is good if you've caught fire to something on the hob. I speak from personal experience here

 

[Sparks]

Post Deleted

 

[Smaug]

Fire blankets are useful on some fires if caught early. Much less mess. May be worth having as well as an extinguisher.

Yup, got one of them too & one in the kitchen at home after a chip pan fire in our first home. Don't use a deep fat fryer any more, but the blanket is still handy in case of a frying pan fire.

 

[Deadsfo]

a bit off the point but talking about fire extinguishers going off reminded me of an incident many years ago when I not long wed with a couple of very yuong nkids and 'potless',I had a part time job in the evenings selling BETTERWARE products mostly cleaning stuff but they also sold a good powder fire extinguisher ,I was delivering one to a house ,I was stood on the doorstep rang the bell heard the footsteps coming down the hall had a brief look at the box the extinguisher was in then disaster I had the box upside down and the extinguish fell out of the box straight onto it trigger I picked it up seconds before the door opened I was having a close examination of it to see if there had been any damage done when it went off with a wooshh covering me from head to foot leaving me looking like a mcdougals flour grader,the door opened the guy did'nt bat an eyelid and simply said 'I dont want that one'

 

[Wooie1958]

I have 2 Fire Extinguishers,

1 by the cab, our lounge is at the front of the van and 1 in the kitchen area towards the rear of the van.

Both are highly visible and very easy to get at. They are both fitted approx waist / chest height so they can be quickly grabbed when standing or sitting.

The original cab one was fitted on the floor behind the passenger seat and would have been a nightmare to get quick, i soon moved it.

 

[Deleted member 5816]

Fire Extingishers

I too carry Halon and have half a dozen refills it is actually illegal to own and use these now but that's another story, it's the only type of fire extinguisher that will not damage the interior we carry 1 Halon ans 2 dry Powder as well as 2 Fire Blankets touch wood in 43 years with a motor caravan we have never had to use for ourselves I have used the Halon to put a fire out in another van on site.
Don't keep any extinguisher or fire blanket too near the hob it's far better near a door BUT they Mustbe readily available and easy to get in an emergency.

Also remember Dry Powder usually only has a 5 year life better to renew than find it does not work.

Alf

My old man had a small dry powder extinguisher above the door in his Sprite 400 back in the sixties. I remember us arriving on site and opening the caravan door to find it had fallen off while travelling and the inside of the caravan looked like Christmas had come.

I have a 2kg dry powder just inside the tailgate and another 2kg dry powder behind the passenger seat next to the fire blanket (accessible through the sliding door and from the cab). I also have a 1kg halon extinguisher in the caravan but mounted at the bottom of the doorway. Halon is a CFC and although by far the best extinguishing medium it is now not available.

I like having an extinguisher within reach of the drivers seat in case of being trapped due to an accident. All a bit overkill I know but being ex-Fire Brigade I like to be well covered.

 

[Sparks]

Post Deleted

 

[QFour]

By the habitation door. Its tucked down the side of the seat so easy to get at. Out of the way and near the cooker, microwave, fridge also near the door.

Nearly had to use it last year. The meat was in the oven when we arrived. Turned the cooker on and took dog for a walk. On the way back you could see the smoke :scared: Lucky the roof was open. SWMBO is quicker than me and rushed to the door with me fumbling with the key fob. Checked through the window and no flames. Opened door and turned the oven off. Retired outside to assess the situation. Went back in and opened all the windows and all the roof lights.

Opened oven to find that the meat had slid to the back of the oven on its tray and it was directly over the flame. It was a bit charred in places but just about edible. We now check before we put the oven on.

 

[Deleted member 8180]

On the floor next to the driver's seat, reachable from the kitchen, plus a fire blanket in the kitchen. Did once try putting out a burning car with a 25kg (yes 25) dry powder. Not sure if I put it out or it just burnt out but there wasn't much left of it...

 

[slowpace]

By the habitation door. Its tucked down the side of the seat so easy to get at. Out of the way and near the cooker, microwave, fridge also near the door.

Nearly had to use it last year. The meat was in the oven when we arrived. Turned the cooker on and took dog for a walk. On the way back you could see the smoke :scared: Lucky the roof was open. SWMBO is quicker than me and rushed to the door with me fumbling with the key fob. Checked through the window and no flames. Opened door and turned the oven off. Retired outside to assess the situation. Went back in and opened all the windows and all the roof lights.

Opened oven to find that the meat had slid to the back of the oven on its tray and it was directly over the flame. It was a bit charred in places but just about edible. We now check before we put the oven on.

now you have made me think and it hurts well i lock the gas locker after i turn it on So now i will leave it open when on board
SO how many lock it after you turn it on

 

[Smaug]

now you have made me think and it hurts well i lock the gas locker after i turn it on So now i will leave it open when on board
SO how many lock it after you turn it on

I have to lock mine or it will swing open.

 

[David & Ann]

We were working out where to fix our fire extinguisher last night. Will probably fix just inside habitation door, which is also close to fridge,hob & oven. Seeing runnach's thread about the fire in his MH today I wondered.

Where do you keep your fire extinguisher?

As seen in the picture, right by the cooker with a fire blanket. Your suggestion inside habitation door by the fridge, hob & oven is as good a spot as any.
All I can say it should be a MUST for your own safety. ☺☺

 

[Aquaticaquarian]

It's a relief to see I'm not the only one with two extinguishers AND a flame-proof blanket in my motorhome as I did briefly think I was perhaps being over cautious. As with others, blanket and one extinguisher are beside habitation door and other extinguisher behind drivers seat......

 

[Robmac]

I think it's more important to have a second point of exit from the habitation, in my case it would be out of the side window, or kick the back window out.

 

[Sharon the Cat]

I think it's more important to have a second point of exit from the habitation, in my case it would be out of the side window, or kick the back window out.

We have one extinguisher with a gauge showing it is still good. I found another fire extinguisher the other day a "First Alert Tundra" aerosol sort of thing. It is out of date now (10/03/12). We'll still put it in the MH as we both agreed it may still work and you can always use to smash a window in a hurry if needs be.

 

[onion]

Fire extinguisher

Bin the old extinguisher, if it doesn't work then it's u/s & it wont break a window or will blow yr hand off if it explodes doing so.

 

[Firefox]

I keep mine just inside the habitation door near cooker etc.

Also means I can tackle a fire coming in from outside as the extinguisher will be the first thing to lay hands on.