Each floor of your home should have a working fire extinguisher.
Portable fire extinguishers can be an important component of your home’s fire-safe preparedness. Improper use of a fire extinguisher could result in spreading the fire, causing serious injury or death, so homeowners should understand how and when to use a fire extinguisher.
When used properly, a fire extinguisher can cool the burning fuel or remove the oxygen so a fire cannot continue to burn.
Some rules for effectively using a fire extinguisher. If you think the decision to fight a small fire will not result in additional risk to you or to people around you:
- Call the Fire Department or 911 and get everyone out of the house.
- Stay near a door that can be used as an escape.
- Stay low to avoid toxic smoke and fumes.
- P-ull the pin, holding the extinguisher upright.
- A-im at the base of the fire from about 20-feet away.
- S-queeze the handle.
- S-weep the nozzle from side to side.
CLICK HERE for more details about the classifications and ratings of fire extinguishers.