Are You Prepared For A Fire?

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UncleJoe

UncleJoe

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@zoomzoom 's thread about the fire extinguisher recall brought back memories of a personal experience I had with fire back in Dec. '09. Some of you may remember it but I thought I would share it for the folks that weren't around at the time.

I'm just going to do a C&P. It did NOT happen this morning as the post says.


How many folks here keep fire extinguishers handy? We have 6 and they all paid for themselves this morning.
I got a call about 9:00 this morning from someone looking to have a parking lot plowed. I went out at 9:30 and started the truck to let it warm up. It's diesel and doesn't like to run right away when it's this cold. At 9:45 I said good-bye to DW and went out to find smoke coming out from under the hood. As I got closer I found the entire cab filled with thick black smoke. When I opened the door to shut it off, flames erupted from the influx of oxygen. :eek:They were coming from under the dash on the passenger side. I slammed the door shut, RAN back into the house and grabbed one of the 2 extinguishers we keep in the kitchen. RAN back out, opened the passenger door and shot one good blast under the dash. That was all it took. The fire was out. If I would have had to call the fire department, I'm sure I would have lost the truck.
The next time your out buying preps, put a fire extinguisher or 3 at the top of your list if you don't already have one. They aren't that expensive and it could save your life or your property.
 
Good topic and fresh in my mind as we just did our semi-annual fire drill at home. Around daylight savings 2x a year we do a full fledged climb out your window fire drill including feeling doors, crawling on the floor, practice putting on smoke hoods, practice deploying fire extinguishers (older kids), meeting up at evacuation zones, alerting the neighbors, practice calling 911, etc. We have a small sprinkler system in the man cave and prep room and a number of wall mounted fire extinguishers around the house and garage. We are probably well prepared in this area, but as I have seen the devastation of house fires first hand I still do not feel like it.
 
Sentry18 said:
Good topic and fresh in my mind as we just did our semi-annual fire drill at home. Around daylight savings 2x a year we do a full fledged climb out your window fire drill including feeling doors, crawling on the floor, practice putting on smoke hoods, practice deploying fire extinguishers (older kids), meeting up at evacuation zones, alerting the neighbors, practice calling 911, etc. We have a small sprinkler system in the man cave and prep room and a number of wall mounted fire extinguishers around the house and garage. We are probably well prepared in this area, but as I have seen the devastation of house fires first hand I still do not feel like it.
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You are one of the few I know that do home fire drills ... Congrats !
 
*Andi said:
You are one of the few I know that do home fire drills ... Congrats !
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It actually started when my oldest son was in elementary school (2nd grade IIRC) and went to a fire safety program at the local FD. He brought home a workbook with all things he needed to know and do and was set on doing a full fire drill. It stuck and we have been doing it ever since. Every elementary student in town still goes through that same program.
 
I also keep one in my truck. Wish I had a way to lock the pin in or mount it because I found the pin pulled. The same happened in our motorhome and the extinguisher went off.
 
robin416 said:
I also keep one in my truck. Wish I had a way to lock the pin in or mount it because I found the pin pulled. The same happened in our motorhome and the extinguisher went off.
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There are breakable tie wraps they can be used to hold the pin in place or you can get tie wraps that are re-usable and can be quickly removed from the pin. Just an option.
 
TMT Tactical said:
There are breakable tie wraps they can be used to hold the pin in place or you can get tie wraps that are re-usable and can be quickly removed from the pin. Just an option.
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I did not know that. Thanks for the tip. I would rather it not go off accidently, especially while I'm driving.
 
We have one extinguisher in the kitchen, one in the bedroom and 3 in the garage and another 3 in my shop.
I had to use one in the kitchen of the home in Seattle to put out a small fire. I used to carry one in my car but I have fallen away from that... I guess it's time to get a couple for the cars.
 
Redbeard said:
So i feel kinda stupid! We have one that is good to go! I checked the 4 others we have and they need to be recertified and i think 2 might need to be chucked . Can't believe i let them go.... What a dummy!
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Oh well, if we were all perfect and all knowing we wouldn't need threads like this to serve as reminders. Heck we wouldn't even need forums! ;)
 
I had to use the fire extinguisher from my horse trailer to put out a fire that took down my power pole. I was watching the news when the power went off. I could see that the neighbor still had power and after checking the breakers in the house I went out side. Our utility pole was hanging from the powerlines! Something has chewed through the wires insulation underground and the pole had soldered and burned all the way through and burst into flames when it reached ground level.
 
Smoke detectors in all living areas and each bedroom. Carbon monoxide detectors in various strategic places. Numerous fire extinguishers in key areas and fire blanket in kitchen. Escape ladder on second floor. Metal can with lid for ashes from fireplace. I know from experience what it looks like to watch a person on fire. We are pretty careful.

Sorry to hear about your incident, even if it wasn5 5his morning. Praise God it wasn’t worse
 
AtomicFarmer said:
As far as keeping fire extinguishers in the car, does cold weather affect them? Obviously a water extinguisher would freeze, but will, say, a dry chem one work when it's cold out?
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I can tell you that every single patrol car we have has a fire extinguisher in the trunk and way more than half of them are parked outside (or in operation) all winter long. And winter here means sustained temps below 20 degrees.
 
I have a extinguisher on the side of the bed i sleep on.and 2 in the kitchen. All 3 needs checking. I did what i consider a small scale drill this morning.for wild and other structure fires.i decided to see how long it'd take me to get dressed if there was a fire else where.like a neighbors home.and i did this without turning any lights on.it took me between 2 - 2 1/2 minutes. This includes getting fully dressed and grabbing what i keep on my nightstand. I figure that aint to bad seeing how i aint been practicing.
 
I have removed newspapers and hot-pads from off the stove burners.
Found a full roll of paper towels behind the gas clothes dryer on top of the heat exhaust.
I've found wife's clutter packed up against electrical outlets.
I've found power adapters hot to the touch going to electronics that don't work or the wife doesn't use regularly.
It isn't unusual for clutter to fall out of a closet when I open the door.
We have two spare bedrooms and a spare bathroom that wife has so full of clutter that you can't walk into the room(s).
I figure what good would fire extinguishers do when the house is full of so much combustible tinder (clutter) and my warnings to the wife are ignored?
So I have excellent house insurance, Nest smoke alarms on each floor and my items inventoried.
 
jimLE, thanks for bringing this thread back up!

I do not remember what the goal is time wise when schools do fire drills, but I think it is under 2 minutes. I could be wrong. I do know teachers who were not happy when there was a fire drill and so many did not take it that seriously. Amish must be familiar with the preferred time.

I lived in a big house when I was a senior in college. The man who had the bedroom on the third floor bought himself an escape ladder in the event he might become trapped up there.

The fumes from all the burning plastics and home furnishings are toxic.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/house-fires-why-there-is-danger-beyond-the-flames/

January 20, 2017 / Family Medicine
House Fires: Why There is Fatal Danger Beyond the Flames
Most deaths occur because of smoke inhalation

There are more than 1 million house fires in the United States each year and more than 3,000 people will die each year as a result of fires. But the cause of death in a fire usually is not from being burned — more often than not, deaths in house fires are a result of smoke inhalation.

Often, the smoke in a house fires overcomes people so quickly that they can’t make it to an otherwise accessible exit, the National Fire Protection Organization (NFPA) says.

When people think of death by fire, they typically imagine fire breaking out in a place that is crowded with strangers, like a movie theater or restaurant. In reality, the people who die in fires typically die in ones and twos, in their own homes and vehicles, the NFPA says.

Although homes fires and deaths have been declining since 1977, four out of five fire-related deaths among non-firefighters occur in the home.

Smoke inhalation
While the danger of being burned by a fire is evident, many people are unaware of the dangers of smoke inhalation, says emergency department physician Baruch Fertel, MD.

“When you inhale smoke from a fire, you’re really inhaling a combination of a bunch of toxic products,” Dr. Fertel says. “The ‘smoke’ is mostly carbon monoxide, but also contains cyanide. Many homes have a lot of synthetic material such as rubber, plastic, or foam. When those materials burn, they can cause cyanide poisoning.”

Cyanide is a poisonous chemical gas that prevents your body from absorbing and using oxygen, Dr. Fertel says.

Inhaling the toxic combustion of materials in the home also impairs respiration and can cause suffocation, Dr. Fertel says. Oxygen deprivation, even for short periods of time, can cause irreversible harm.

People who have sustained carbon monoxide poisoning have a risk for cognitive delays or other neurological issues, Dr. Fertel says.

A common cause
While many factors can be responsible for a house fire, one of the most common causes during cold weather months is a space heater.

If you must use a space heater, Dr. Fertel recommends getting a new one that is equipped with safety features and to always make sure it is operated in an area with ventilation.

“If it’s something that burns, such as a combustion heater, it’s really important to make sure that the area is vented,” Dr. Fertel says. “One good safety features is a tip-over feature that makes sure that the device shuts off if it tips over.”

Prevention
It is never safe to enter a burning home, even if you think you are away from flames, Dr. Fertel says.

“It only takes a short period of time to be overcome by smoke inhalation,” he says.

It’s also important to always having working smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in the home.
 
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Sentry18 said:
Good topic and fresh in my mind as we just did our semi-annual fire drill at home. Around daylight savings 2x a year we do a full fledged climb out your window fire drill including feeling doors, crawling on the floor, practice putting on smoke hoods, practice deploying fire extinguishers (older kids), meeting up at evacuation zones, alerting the neighbors, practice calling 911, etc. We have a small sprinkler system in the man cave and prep room and a number of wall mounted fire extinguishers around the house and garage. We are probably well prepared in this area, but as I have seen the devastation of house fires first hand I still do not feel like it.
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I understand crawling on the floor. That is to escape from toxic fumes, I believe. Please correct me if I am wrong. I do know heat rises, so the top part of the room is warmer than the floor.

The piece that caught my eye was practice putting on smoke hoods. I've never heard of smoke hoods, nor seen any.

Wikipedia: A smoke hood is a protective device similar in concept to a gas mask. A translucent airtight bag seals around the head of the wearer while an air filter held in the mouth connects to the outside atmosphere and is used to breathe. Smoke hoods are intended to protect victims of fire from the effects of smoke inhalation.

https://www.aeromedix.com/smokehoods/

David Koch's ordeal
One of the survivors of the 1991 USAir collision at LAX was David H. Koch of Wichita, Kansas. Koch is a well-known philanthropist, libertarian activist, and executive of oil and gas producer Koch Industries, and is estimated by Forbes to have a personal net worth of $1.8 billion. Koch documented his experience rather vividly in Recollections of My Survival of an Airplane Crash. Here's an excerpt:

The cabin lights immediately went out and people began to scream hysterically and rush down the aisle toward the rear of the plane. A few seconds later, the interior of the plane began to fill with intense, heavy black smoke, which was extraordinarily painful to breathe and very toxic. I reached for my suit jacket, but could not find it. My thought was to use it as a face mask to protect my lungs from the smoke. I was on my hands and knees attempting to crawl down the aisle toward the rear of the plane. Several people stampeded over me.It quickly became pitch black in the cabin from the heavy smoke, in spite of the bright light from the fire on the left side of the plane. I could only make out the vague outlines of people directly in front of me. As I moved down the aisle, I encountered a mob of fighting, frenzied people jamming the aisle. At that point, I stood up on my feet, choking heavily from the smoke, and walked back toward the first class section. My state of mind was objective about the condition I was in. I had a real sense of curiosity about what it would be like to die. ...To my astonishment, I detected an opening between the [galley service] door and its frame on the right side of about several inches in width. It was possible to see light on the other side. By this time, I was feeling very faint and I later guessed I only had about 15 to 30 seconds of consciousness left. Every breath caused me to convulse and was extremely painful. I put my fingers in the opening and pulled. The door moved somewhat, which enabled me to put my head out and take a deep breath of fresh air. A tremendous feeling of strength came over me and I felt like Superman. I revived somewhat.With this added energy, I pulled the door more and it moved to the left a couple of feet. This permitted me to step into the doorway and jump to the ground below. I crawled and stumbled away from the plane and ran about 30 yards before stopping. My lungs hurt terribly and I coughed and choked badly for about five minutes before I could breathe normally again.
Not surprisingly, Koch has become a fervent believer in protective breathing devices. He is convinced that most of the victims of the USAir crash would have survived if they'd had protective breathing devices available to them. "I carry one in my briefcase now," he says.

In an Amazon search, there are quite a few options. I believe the more expensive options are probably better than cheaper options, one as low as $25.79, but even that is probably better than nothing. There are many options.

I am curious what any of you would suggest or consider as a better or best buy of a smoke hood?
 
First, I recommend not flying commercial planes. (not because of any danger but rather because of the unlawful search you have to endure to get on one).
Know where your exits are. When you walk into any building look for exits and cover. Remember them! When necessary use an exit that is away from the largest group. You have a better chance of getting out that way. This "rule" applies to any emergency - fire, active shooter or after an earthquake. If you are going to use personal protection devices then keep them in easy reach and practice with them. That "smoke shield" won't do you any good if it is in a box in the car or at home in a drawer. If you can't get it on CORRECTLY in a few seconds you may as well not have it.
In smoke, several layers of wet cloth can make a big difference but your eyes are going to be burning and full of tears so it is important to know where you are going.
 
Welcome Weedygarden..i suddenly thought while reading your post.it could be a good idea to keep a n95 mask or better on my night stand.on account there'd be toxic smoke no matter if the fire is next door or my place.and having a mask on hand could be a added plus.
 
SheepDog said:
First, I recommend not flying commercial planes. (not because of any danger but rather because of the unlawful search you have to endure to get on one).
Know where your exits are. When you walk into any building look for exits and cover. Remember them! When necessary use an exit that is away from the largest group. You have a better chance of getting out that way. This "rule" applies to any emergency - fire, active shooter or after an earthquake. If you are going to use personal protection devices then keep them in easy reach and practice with them. That "smoke shield" won't do you any good if it is in a box in the car or at home in a drawer. If you can't get it on CORRECTLY in a few seconds you may as well not have it.
In smoke, several layers of wet cloth can make a big difference but your eyes are going to be burning and full of tears so it is important to know where you are going.
Click to expand...
One of the pieces about David Koch's story that struck me, was the hysteria by the other passengers. I believe that people's hysteria is what will cause as many problems as anything. People who are potentially drowning and other situations is

when the other people are as dangerous as the fire, or whatever other emergency you are dealing with. You can do drills when there is a regularity to your group. It is those public situations where the crowd is different everyday that are problematic.

People who have thought through situations, such as knowing where the usable exits are, are the ones who are going to be able to get out quickly, unless hampered by the other hysterical people.

I was at a store one time, in the checkout line. I had a couple neighbor girls with me, that I really did not know well. Someone pointed out a tornado funnel, quite a ways in the distance. It was far away. It was going to take quite a while to get to us, if it was going to at all, which it did not. One of the girls took off running hysterically as soon as she saw it. I had never seen anything quite like that before. I was raised by people who did not get excited like that. I don't remember what I said to her, but she was able to get in my car and go home with me.

jimLE said:
Welcome Weedygarden..i suddenly thought while reading your post.it could be a good idea to keep a n95 mask or better on my night stand.on account there'd be toxic smoke no matter if the fire is next door or my place.and having a mask on hand could be a added plus.
Click to expand...

I think that is a great idea, but I am not sure how effective it would be, however, it would be better than nothing.
 
My first time aboard an Aircraft carrier the first thing I did was locate the fire safety equipment.
I found the OBD (Oxygen Breathing Device) locker and was shocked to see there were only 6 OBD devices in it.
Our berthing compartment had around 40 guys sleeping there.
I asked why only 6 and was told the first 6 guys there got them and they were expected to help the others get out safely.
I never had much faith in that system.
The second cruise everyone had their own emergency device. It was a fire resistant clear hood with a small bottle of compressed air.
It would supply air for about 5 minutes, if I remember correctly. Every sailor on the ship was required to go through training on them including actually using them.
I always knew exactly where my device was.
I have gone through fire fighting classes in the Navy and I know what it's like to be in a confined area filled with thick black smoke.
Panic will very quickly consume you and the only thing you will think about is getting out.
I'm not sure how effective a N95 mask would be but I guess better than nothing.
I'm not going to try to remember to put one on. I'm just going to get everyone out as fast as possible.

The absolute best thing we can do for fire safety is make sure our smoke detectors work.
I have smoke detector in every room in the house except the bathrooms.
I also have carbon monoxide monitors and fire extinguishers.
 
backlash said:
The absolute best thing we can do for fire safety is make sure our smoke detectors work.
I have smoke detector in every room in the house except the bathrooms.
I also have carbon monoxide monitors and fire extinguishers.
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I recently saw that smoke detectors need to be updated every 10 years. Mine might be 25 years old. I know I need to update mine. Thank you for the reminder.
 
I keep a 10# extinguisher in each bedroom closet and as near to the exit as possible. This is for ease of access and consistency. Two more in the garage next to the kitchen door and another on the far side of the garage. Smaller extinguishers are under the kitchen sink and in each vehicle.

I picked up surplus gas masks, for under $12 each, to help in egress. We keep them next to the bed. This will filter the air, keep the smoke from my eyes, and provide some protection to my facial skin. An N-95 is made to reduce the number of particles you inhale and not to protect from poison gas.

The next three fire related projects are for wild fires, a steel roof, concrete siding similar to HardyBoard, and a 4' to 5' cinderblock fence along one side of the property next to the house.
 
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