With Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 6 through 12) upon us, the message is loud and clear about the need for fire prevention and fire-fighting devices such as extinguishers and smoke detectors.
"They can mean the difference between life and death," says Commander Elliott Velez, coordinator of community services for the Chicago Fire Department. "Homes are especially susceptible to the dangers of a fire."
The National Fire Protection Association, based in Quincy, Mass., reports that 80 percent of building fires each year in the United States take place in homes. And, about 80 percent of the people who die because of a fire die in a home fire.
Smoke detectors and fire extinguishers could greatly reduce those statistics, says Velez. What follows is a rundown to purchasing a fire extinguisher and smoke detector for your home:
Home versions of fire extinguishers have become extremely popular in the last few years as they have dropped quite a bit in both price and weight -- as little as $10 and 5 pounds.
A home fire extinguisher can be used to keep small fires--such as a grease fire on a stove or a fire in a garage wastebasket--under control, possibly preventing injuries and damage.
One important note: Fire extinguishers should only be used to fight a fire for a very short time. "If you cannot put out a fire within 10 seconds, get out of there," says Velez.
Fire extinguishers are inexpensive and require hardly any installation (usually a bracket or an adhesive Velcro strip can attach them to the wall or inside a cabinet door).
Choosing a fire extinguisher, however, takes a bit more work. Because different fire extinguishers are made to fight different fires, purchasing the correct one is essential. In fact, using the wrong fire extinguisher can make a fire worse, much like throwing water on a grease fire, which would cause it to spread.
Fire extinguishers are rated in three classes by Underwriters Laboratories, an independent safety-testing facility:
- Class A fire extinguishers are designed for common combustible materials, such as wood, cloth and paper. Normally, these fires could be safely extinguished with water.
- Class B fire extinguishers are designed for flammable liquids such as grease, gasoline, oils and paints. Such a fire must be smothered by cutting off the oxygen supply to prevent further combustion.
- Class C extinguishers are for fighting fires sparked by electricity from an appliance and then burning combustible materials or flammable liquids. Such a blaze must be extinguished with a nonconductive agent.
A- and B-type fire extinguishers are also classified by the size of the fire they can put out. For example, a 2-A fire extinguisher has twice the extinguishing capabilities of a 1-A unit.
The best bet in purchasing a fire extinguisher is to get a unit that is rated A:B:C by the UL, meaning it can extinguish all three types of fires listed above. Such units use a dry chemical called ammonium phosphate to smother a fire.
Another common type of fire extinguisher is one that uses sodium bicarbonate, which is effective only against B and C type fires. Such a fire extinguisher is best for a kitchen, where 75 percent of all fires start.
When purchasing a fire extinguisher, look for a model that has a pressure gauge, because fire extinguishers have a life span of a few years, advises Velez. "That will tell you how much of a charge the extinguisher has left to it."
There are also units with test buttons to determine whether they are operational.
Never test a fire extinguisher by using it. This can quickly lower its charge, weakening it in case there is a fire.
Extinguishers are simple to operate. Remove a safety pin, point the nozzle at the fire, and squeeze the firing handle.
Velez recommends purchasing a fire extinguisher for the kitchen, garage and basement. The units should be installed near exits so that you can fight a fire and still easily exit the house after a few seconds. Installing an extinguisher near at exit also allows you to clear a fire that's blocking an exit.
The extinguishers should be installed on a wall in plain sight and high enough for easy access by adults.
Once installed, check the pressure gauges on the extinguishers monthly to make sure they are in good working order.
In more than half of all fire deaths that occur in homes, smoke detectors are not present, say fire officials.
That's a surprising figure considering that smoke detectors are now required to be in most homes by the law.
Smoke detectors are nearly ubiquitous and are now found in not only home improvement stores but also in grocery stores and gas station markets.
There are two types of smoke detectors: Those that are powered by a battery and those that are wired into a home's electrical system.
Easy installation is an advantage of a battery-powered detector: A couple of screws and screw anchors attach the detector to a wall or ceiling. They are also inexpensive, costing as little as $10 each.