# The importance of a fire extinguisher



## 47phord (Apr 10, 2012)

So, I working in the shop, setting up the bandsaw to break down a small tree trunk that I had just cut down. I had sent my son out on the riding mower to both mow and start picking up all of the leaves that have already started piling up in the yard.

I had just finished aligning the blade, and was about to put the covers back on, when my son comes flying around the corner yelling: "DAD! THE MOWER'S ON FIRE!".

I grabbed my ABC extinguisher off of the bench, ran to the back yard; and sure enough, there was a nice fire burning in front of the mower. I sprayed it with the dry chemical and in seconds all was well. It turned out that it wasn't the mower that had caught, but rather all of the dry leaves he had been running over had started piling up in front of the engine exhaust, and that was what had started burning. The mower was a little singed, but no worse for wear and most importantly, nobody got hurt.

The moral of the story is, always keep a damned fire extinguisher in your shop! Even if all the electric motors, saw dust, chemicals, and oil-finish-soaked rags don't catch on fire, something else very well might.


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## richardchaos (May 12, 2017)

Here is one thing I have noticed about FIRE EXTINGUISHERS at least as for professional supplied and maintained F..Es..

WHY are they always located within inches of any exit?

So you can grab them on your way out screaming like a little school girl on your way out of the building SO the F.E.s company can use them at their next clients location!


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## Mosquito (Feb 15, 2012)

I play it pretty safe. We've got one upstairs in the kitchen under the sink, one in the closet between the living room and bedrooms, one downstairs in the kitchenette that serves as my hand tool shop, one in the furnace/utility room, one in the garage, two out in my shop out back, and one in the gazebo in the back yard. Probably over-fire extinguisher-ed, but better than under


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

> Here is one thing I have noticed about FIRE EXTINGUISHERS at least as for professional supplied and maintained F..Es..
> 
> WHY are they always located within inches of any exit?
> 
> ...


They are by exits because the fire department will tell you to put them there.


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## PlanBWoodworks (Jan 29, 2017)

As a GM for a restaurant, the biggest question regarding fire extinguishers that I have is on the extremely rare occasions that a fire extinguisher was needed in one of my restaurants, why do my employees pass multiple general use fire extinguishers that cost next to nothing to refill and always use the massive (and ridiculously expensive to refill) "grease fire ONLY" FE? In my nearly 20 years in the business, I have never (knock on wood!!!!!!) had a grease fire. I have had 2 small grass fires a a couple of mulch fires. Every time, my team members grab the super expensive one.


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## Carloz (Oct 12, 2016)

Once I was watching how two fire engines tried to deal with a burning car. They literally filled it with water and foam but the thing kept burning till there was anything combustible. Also at work they made me to take extinguisher class where we tried to put down contriollrd fires. It is pretty hard. All an extinguisher can do is to end firs in a pile of burning leaves. Anything bigger you need somerhing bigger


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## 47phord (Apr 10, 2012)

> Once I was watching how two fire engines tried to deal with a burning car. They literally filled it with water and foam but the thing kept burning till there was anything combustible. Also at work they made me to take extinguisher class where we tried to put down contriollrd fires. It is pretty hard. All an extinguisher can do is to end firs in a pile of burning leaves. Anything bigger you need somerhing bigger
> 
> - Carloz


I agree you aren't going to control a fully-involved car fire with a FE, but the idea is you have ability to knock the fire down while it's still small enough to extinguish.


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## 47phord (Apr 10, 2012)

> As a GM for a restaurant, the biggest question regarding fire extinguishers that I have is on the extremely rare occasions that a fire extinguisher was needed in one of my restaurants, why do my employees pass multiple general use fire extinguishers that cost next to nothing to refill and always use the massive (and ridiculously expensive to refill) "grease fire ONLY" FE? In my nearly 20 years in the business, I have never (knock on wood!!!!!!) had a grease fire. I have had 2 small grass fires a a couple of mulch fires. Every time, my team members grab the super expensive one.
> 
> - PlanBWoodworks


Well, if it's more expensive, it must be better!!! Right? Right?


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## 47phord (Apr 10, 2012)

> I play it pretty safe. We ve got one upstairs in the kitchen under the sink, one in the closet between the living room and bedrooms, one downstairs in the kitchenette that serves as my hand tool shop, one in the furnace/utility room, one in the garage, two out in my shop out back, and one in the gazebo in the back yard. Probably over-fire extinguisher-ed, but better than under
> 
> - Mosquito


I'm with you there. We have one on each level of the house plus the garage (aka workshop). This is the first time I've ever needed to use one, and gods-willing, it will be the last.


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