Fire Extinguishers!

[scbwr]

I was reading a thread on another forum regarding fire extinguishers and it made me think that I've rarely seen the topic on RV forums. Of course, when we buy an RV, it comes with a fire extinguisher or two or more depending on the size of the rig. I would like to encourage everyone to upgrade their fire extinguisher and add additonal ones as needed.

Last summer, my son had a small fire while using his propane grill (outside) caused by a connection that wasn't tight. After turning off the propane, he grabbed a small extinguisher from his kitchen and used it to put out the fire, but it was barely adequate for the job as it was one of those small kitchen fire extinguishers. When he told me about this, I thought of the tiny little fire extinguisher that came with my Winnebago trailer which was, I believe, only a 2 lb. extinguisher:E....it may have been a 5 lb. but I don't think so. I immediately purchased a new 10 lb. extinguisher and mounted it where the factory installed extinguisher had been mounted. I moved the small extinguisher and mounted it next to our bed, and I also keep another 10 lb. extinguisher in the wardrobe next to the bed.

I encourage you to not only check your fire extinguisher to make sure that it is still functional, but to replace or add extinguishers to provide a little more assistance should you need it. Think about where a fire is likely to start (water heater, stove, furnace) and can you easily get your hands on an extinguisher if needed. Especially think about what would happen or what you would need when you or your family are asleep.

As campers, I think most of us are aware of the importance of smoke detectors, propane detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. But do we pay enough attention to fire extinguishers? :hI don't think so.

Stay safe and happy travels!

[Old-Biscuit]

Caveman Charlie wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:


Fire blankets
Fire blankets are made of fire-resistant materials. They are particularly useful for smothering fat pan fires or for wrapping around a person whose clothing is on fire.

The fire blanket will be marked to show whether it should be thrown away after use or used again after cleaning, in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

A fire blanket or damp cloth should be used on a fat pan fire.
Fire blankets should be kept in the kitchen.
Do not put your blanket too close to your cooker. You may not reach it in the event of a fire.
Always place the fire blanket near an escape route so that you have the option to walk away and contact the Fire and Rescue Service if you feel the fire is too large to tackle.

On board ship US NAVY and in Power Plants they were stationed near fuel oil & lubricating oil areas.

When I look them up some of them are not very expensive. I may consider buying a couple. One for the house and one for the RV.

Excellent tool to wrap oneself/loved ones in and get out to safety.

I have fought fires.
I am no longer placed in that situation of 'having to'.
NOW I can choose to or not.
I choose not........getting away safely is my priority. Fire blankets are cheap tools. They can also be used to smother a fire.

Hadn't thought about them in years. Glad 'Travelbug1' mentioned them.
Looks like I have some shopping to do also.

[Caveman_Charlie]

Old-Biscuit wrote:


Fire blankets
Fire blankets are made of fire-resistant materials. They are particularly useful for smothering fat pan fires or for wrapping around a person whose clothing is on fire.

The fire blanket will be marked to show whether it should be thrown away after use or used again after cleaning, in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

A fire blanket or damp cloth should be used on a fat pan fire.
Fire blankets should be kept in the kitchen.
Do not put your blanket too close to your cooker. You may not reach it in the event of a fire.
Always place the fire blanket near an escape route so that you have the option to walk away and contact the Fire and Rescue Service if you feel the fire is too large to tackle.

On board ship US NAVY and in Power Plants they were stationed near fuel oil & lubricating oil areas.

When I look them up some of them are not very expensive. I may consider buying a couple. One for the house and one for the RV.

[Old-Biscuit]

Fire blankets
Fire blankets are made of fire-resistant materials. They are particularly useful for smothering fat pan fires or for wrapping around a person whose clothing is on fire.

The fire blanket will be marked to show whether it should be thrown away after use or used again after cleaning, in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

A fire blanket or damp cloth should be used on a fat pan fire.
Fire blankets should be kept in the kitchen.
Do not put your blanket too close to your cooker. You may not reach it in the event of a fire.
Always place the fire blanket near an escape route so that you have the option to walk away and contact the Fire and Rescue Service if you feel the fire is too large to tackle.

On board ship US NAVY and in Power Plants they were stationed near fuel oil & lubricating oil areas.

[Caveman_Charlie]

Travelbug1 wrote:
Do you use Fire Blankets at all?
Here is the UK we have extinguishers and fire blankets in our RV's, Motorhomes and Caravans as well as smoke alarms and sometimes gas alarms.
On rallys the club rules are to have a fire bucket of water at the front hitch of your outfit in case of fires.
As daft as it sounds it does work and I have seen it save a canvas trailer tent and stop the fire from spreading to the next unit.

I've never heard of a Fire Blanket. What is it?

[Old-Biscuit]

On board ship US NAVY we had fire blanket stations and in Power Plants I worked in we had them also.

Never seen one in any US based RV of any kind.

We do have smoke alarms, CO alarms, LP Leak Detectors and one OEM small hand held fire extinguisher.

[jfkmk]

Travelbug1 wrote:
Do you use Fire Blankets at all?
Here is the UK we have extinguishers and fire blankets in our RV's, Motorhomes and Caravans as well as smoke alarms and sometimes gas alarms.
On rallys the club rules are to have a fire bucket of water at the front hitch of your outfit in case of fires.
As daft as it sounds it does work and I have seen it save a canvas trailer tent and stop the fire from spreading to the next unit.

The fire bucket is a good idea. When I was with the Boy Scouts, we had one in front of every tent. Besides a fire in the rv, this is a handy way to put out a spark that may fly from a campfire.

[Travelbug1]

Do you use Fire Blankets at all?
Here is the UK we have extinguishers and fire blankets in our RV's, Motorhomes and Caravans as well as smoke alarms and sometimes gas alarms.
On rallys the club rules are to have a fire bucket of water at the front hitch of your outfit in case of fires.
As daft as it sounds it does work and I have seen it save a canvas trailer tent and stop the fire from spreading to the next unit.

[bsinmich]

As a former school bus driver we got to use one every couple years in training programs. I also got to shoot the inside of a color TV that had the bad switch that caught fire. It was a good thing I had it because in a new subdivision we got that phone call from the fire dept. "Where is Fairwood Dr.?" Our street was 2 blocks long and fairly new. That was in 1967.

[Harvard]

According to ABC Fire Extinguisher Company LLC Bullhead City AZ 1-800-755-1302 these cheap dry chemical fire extinguishers that have the PLASTIC HEAD are "junk".

That was in response to my having purchased an el cheapo from ********* last summer only to have it fail (lost pressure) within 6 months. Supposedly the el cheapo was rechargeable but according to ABC, not in their shop.

[big_buford]

Few years back a friends converter caught fire out in the desert. Glad we were in camp at the time. Took 3 small extinguishers to get it out. Stubborn little fire, kept coming back. Would have been a goner if he didn't borrow a couple extinguishers from friends camped near by.

[soos]

We also upgraded to larger extinguishers and added a Halon above the fridge.
We also keep a large extinguisher in the baack seat of the truck.

Sue

[GoPackGo]

I agree. I had a small underhood fire once due to my van alternator failng, overheating, and then catching on fire on a 95 degree day while I was towing my camper down the highway. As I was pulling over with smoke boiling up from under the hood, the engine stalled, probably due to the alternator freezing up and causing the serpentine belt to put too much drag on the engine at idle. So no power brakes and no power steering. Ah, the memories. . . .

I popped the hood and jumped out, saw the alternator in flames and immediately ran to the camper because I knew I had a fire extinguisher right inside the door. Grabbed it and used it to smother the flames before any more damage was done. That little extinguisher saved my van as well as our vacation. Only had to replace the alternator.

I also had an extinguisher in my van but it was way in the back under clothes and other things. I knew I could get at the camper extinguisher a lot quicker.

Tim

[C-Bears]

I guess my obsession with having more than one fire extinguisher and checking them once and awhile has more to do with needing them for small emergencies, like a trash can catching on fire, a vehicle fire, etc. I would hope most RVers realize once the trailer starts to go there are never going to be enough fire extinguishers to save it.

But for those small emergencies I would rather be able to grab a working extinguisher than try pouring my beer on it.

[mowermech]

"Priority three is:
Dial 911 - even if you're out in the boonies (never know when/if the fire lads might happen to be close, even if their station is not)."

When I am "out in the boonies" around here, forget about dialing 911 (or anything else). chances are, there is NO cell service, and the nearest landline is at least 10 miles away.
BUT, you won't know if you don't try.
Good luck.