Fire extinguisher, fire blanket or both?

Jul 18, 2017
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We have both. Instead of a cheap fire extinguisher we opted to pay a bit more and get the 1l water mist fire extinguisher which is more effective against most fires than a powder extinguisher. It is a bit bigger than the normal caravan type fire extinguisher, but we have it by the door entrance so it is not in the way. See HERE for a description of the water mist type..
 
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Nov 11, 2009
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I go for both an extinguisher and fire blanket. I could wax lyrical about mist extinguishers as after the Manchester air disaster I worked on projects to develop such systems in defence equipment, but they didn’t materialise in civil aircraft. Passengers don’t like to reflect on potential danger situations, and airlines bunk at the cost and weight penalty. Understandable on both counts. As an installed system they are good, so I’d think a good portable one could be very effective.
 
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Mar 27, 2011
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I rely on a reliable smoke detector with fresh batteries (Duracell) every season and a quick response to get out and watch it burn from as far away as I could get.

BP
 
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Mar 14, 2005
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On the face of it it does seem sensible to have both.

It needs a cool customer to work out which might be safe to use and when, but as Beehpee suggests it's essential to have a working smoke detector and a tested escape strategy worked out for everyone, then to consider tackling the fire provided it has not taken hold.

Here is an Australian video which shows why.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m51e-BuieiE
 

Sam Vimes

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Sep 7, 2020
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We have both. Instead of a cheap fire extinguisher we opted to pay a bit more and get the 1l water mist fire extinguisher which is more effective against most fires than a powder extinguisher. It is a bit bigger than the normal caravan type fire extinguisher, but we have it by the door entrance so it is not in the way. See HERE for a description of the water mist type..

Thanks for the recommendation. I'm sure its good but its a bit pricey.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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In estimating the consequences of a nuclear accident the Value of a Life Year was around £30k some 15 years ago. NICE do it day in day out. Based on NICE recommendations my GP changed my antI coagulant to one that was cheaper, but had slightly higher likelihood of a stroke or death. But overall the financial balance helped the NHS despite the slightly higher chance of me being hospitalised or requiring on going medical treatment. So “yes” it’s being done day in day out across a broad range of activities. But I understand your philosophy particularly when it’s your life, or those around you. I chose my cars with two principal criteria; safety and reliability.
 
Jan 31, 2018
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Funny riding a motorbike safety is one of the last things I look at when choosing a car and I know that sounds daft but it's looks and design that float my boat (except when choosing a tow car). All of my fire training basically says-don't hang round to fight a fire-make sure the occupants are out and this probably applies even more to a caravan fire-but a hob fire or grill fire is often contained and a blanket or extinguisher is a quick and happy solution. The smoke alarm is there for smouldering electricals etc , and after that is get out fast!
 
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Oct 8, 2006
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I would ask any professionals reading not to answer so we can get an idea of what real people think.

Question: what is the purpose of a fire extinguisher?
 
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Nov 11, 2009
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To help make your way out of a fire situation, although if properly trained to aid extinguishing or suppressing a fire before the Fire Service arrive.
Or to fire at an intruder before smacking them over the head 🤭
 
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It would have to be a very very small fire for me to even think of tackling it, I have had two occasions where I was first on the scene when houses were on fire, the first was barely burning but it was stopping a couple with 2 small children getting out as it was the stairs on fire, it took me less than 5 minutes to catch the kids dropped from an upstairs window and then to help the parents onto a porch, the whole thing lasted like I said no more than 5 minutes but within seconds of getting them out all the windows at the front of the house blew out, frightening is a massive understatement. I’d not hesitate I’d just get out.

BP
 
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As OC and Beephee say; but I really like otherclive's defence system! Must remember that one when I haven'#t got my baseball bat handy!
 
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To help make your way out of a fire situation, although if properly trained to aid extinguishing or suppressing a fire before the Fire Service arrive.
Or to fire at an intruder before smacking them over the head 🤭

Exactly. Many people who have not had H&S training assume you use an extinguisher to put out the fire - which of course is the very last thing you do. You use it to make an exit path, then if you have time and onlt IF IT IS SAFE TO DO SO you attempt to fight the fire.
 
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Exactly. Many people who have not had H&S training assume you use an extinguisher to put out the fire - which of course is the very last thing you do. You use it to make an exit path, then if you have time and onlt IF IT IS SAFE TO DO SO you attempt to fight the fire.

My training was a bit different. But on a ship there aren’t that many places to exit. Some have no exits at all.
 
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Nov 16, 2015
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I carry a 1kg Co2 in the van between the bed and the kitchen, for escape. We have a 2.5 kg dry powder outside outside , near the tow hitch A frame. Where the "Old Folk" would have the water fire bucket, which we still have for the dogs to drink out of. I like the Idea of the Water mist extingusher, .

When I done a Shell Oil Company fire fighting course, On a recourence day, 4x4 metre oil pit ablaze, The foam mixing kit failed, The team leader called a halt. I requested we carried on to show we could kill the fire with Water mist. It took about 20 minutes but worked well on such a large fire.
But don't think a 1 litre with a 12 second discharge would be adequate.
 

Sam Vimes

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Thanks for the interesting replies.

Can you put a price on a life?

I knew even before I hit the Post Reply button that someone would ask this question. However, I thought that having lit the fire it would be interesting to see how high the flames would go. It's really a philosphical question that should be discussed down the pub over a drink with friends. Since that's not going to happen any time soon, I'll have to give my answer here....... forty two.

And that's from someone who is a professional and a real person - the two are not mutually exclusive. :)

I'll assess the risk and do what I think best.

Take care
 
May 7, 2012
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I think if a fire is just starting a fire blanket could help, you can just throw it over the fire and get out before you see if it works. Fire extinguishers require you to stay and fight the fire, so while there are circumstances when it might work staying to fight the fire might be a bit more dangerous.
 
Jul 18, 2017
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I think if a fire is just starting a fire blanket could help, you can just throw it over the fire and get out before you see if it works. Fire extinguishers require you to stay and fight the fire, so while there are circumstances when it might work staying to fight the fire might be a bit more dangerous.
I would think the idea of the fire extinguisher is to create a safe exit for people and secondly put out the fire with a bit of luck.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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Not in anger, but during a training session.

Please see Hutches response #18
Having been involved with the development of mist systems it should not be confused with a very fine spray. The droplet size on a mist system is much smaller than a fine spray. One facet of their performance is the ability to utilise latent heat to rapidly cool the area and transition to steam. From my experience they don’t “ throw” particularly well and in external areas could be thrown off target by wind. They worked fine in the cabin of an old RAF VC 10 when sitting inside I could not feel the heat from a fuel pan fire on the upper wing. Yet that fire without mist melted the seats. They also worked as a mist drench in a closed compartment when a 3000 psi hydraulic oil spray ignited. The mist quenched it rapidly with minimal collateral damage and very little use of water too. The only concern raised in its utilisation was the old chestnut of Legionnaires Disease. But it’s quite obvious where the balance of risk lies in such situations.
 

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