Fire Extinguisher: A Quick and Easy Guide to Putting Out FiresYou've seen it in the movies: a person pulls a fire extinguisher out of the wall, aims it at the fire, and—BOOM!—the fire is gone. It looks easy, right? Unfortunately, it's not that simple. The fact is that there are many things you need to know before you can use a fire extinguisher effectively. You may think that all you need do is pull the pin and aim at the flames, but that's just one step in a process that requires you to be well-educated about how best to use it.
That's why we're here. We want to make sure that everyone knows how to fight fires properly with their fire extinguishers so that they can do it safely and effectively. Although there are many articles about how to use fire extinguishers, some mistakes may be overlooked. Today I want to share with you one very important point that people often ignore: Will shoot the highest point of flame work? For those who have never used a fire extinguisher before, the answer is yes. However, for those who have experience using them, you know that this is not always the case.
Shooting at the highest point of flame:
When you see a fire, your instinct is probably to point your extinguisher at the flames. While this may seem like a good idea because it's where all the heat and smoke are coming from, this isn't actually the correct way to put out a fire. In fact, aiming for the highest point of flame will only make it worse—you'll just be making more oxygen available for combustion and spreading those flames around. If you want to put out a fire quickly and effectively, aim for its source—wherever that may be—and don't worry about where it looks hottest or most impressive!
Shooting at its root:
You should also remember that when dealing with any kind of fire, there is always something underneath that starts it all. If you can get to the source of a fire, you'll be able to put it out much more quickly and efficiently. This will prevent it from spreading and getting bigger. As long as there is still oxygen available for combustion, that fire will not continue burning. If you can cut off its supply by eliminating all available oxygen, then it will go out immediately.
There are a few common mistakes that people often make when using a fire extinguisher. This is our first article and we will continue this series in the following days. We are here to help make it simple for you. Just remember: if you ever find yourself in an emergency situation where you need to use a fire extinguisher, don't hesitate—just pull the pin and let 'er rip!
Thanks for reading!