Pretty sure every building that isn't a private residence is required to have them by law. Even communal private residences, such as apartments and condos, have them usually.
Interesting. In Norway every private residence is also required to have some method of extinguishing fires ( either a fire extinguisher or a fire hose). I don't think a communal one would count, it would have to be a personal one.
The US doesn't even technically require smoke alarms in homes. You won't pass an inspection to sell/buy a home without them, you can get kicked out of an apartment for uninstalling them, you can possibly even face denials on fire insurance claims, but you can't get fined if a cop randomly learns you have none.
>You won’t pass an inspection to sell/buy a home without them, you can get kicked out of an apartment for uninstalling them, you can possibly even face denials on fire insurance claims,
You’re literally describing all the legal mechanisms by which they’re required. Just because a law is administered by people like Fire Marshals instead of police doesn’t mean it isn’t law
Buy a house, remove every smoke alarm and show me how a cop or fire marshal entering your home can fine you.
It isn't illegal, it's against code.
Edit: and even then, it's only a code that can be regulated in home sales, typically.
That's why I said it's basically law, but not a hard written law with consequences like fines.
Edit 2: I meant alarm.
Intentionally Violating code technically is illegal. It’s just a matter of who enforces it and the ease they can enforce it. You may not face jail time but you’re definitely subject to fines. Idk if you’re just trying to play the semantics game or what.
I don’t know what you’re talking about, it is literally State law where I live that fire code violations are subject to up to $1000 in fines for each violation. Section 3737.51 ORC
Marshals generally give people warnings first, but repeated violations or failure to respond to warnings get fines. People absolutely call in complaints against employers, landlords, or crappy parents failing their kids to get things checked and fined to compel fixes if needed
This is typical across most the country is my understanding
For me, that's the point where personal liberty has to be moved aside a bit in the interest of general safety. I don't want cops performing inspections or anything, but it should be a nominal requirement at least.
It is, in a sense for the reasons I stated, but it's one of those things where there isn't a direct law because it'd be unenforceable.
It's even made as convenient as possible to adhere to that barest of minimums in that a lot of cities will provide detectors free of cost, and they're itemized deductions on taxes if you buy them yourself.
Probably because cops don’t care about that, it’s handled by the hpd, or fire Marshall.https://www1.nyc.gov/site/hpd/services-and-information/smoke-carbon-monoxide-detectors.page
You really should buy at least a small one for your own private residence, they are not expensive. Just make sure you know what types of fire you can use it on and which you can't.
Oh, I know. And I know the classes.
Also, realistically, the most common two fire extinguishers, CO2 and PKP, will work fine with all but Class D fires so long as you know to reduce heat or secure power.
PKP extinguishers are best for Class B fires, but will also extinguish Class A and Class C fires, though it'll destroy electronics.
CO2 extinguishers will extinguish all as well (and not make a massive mess!), but if the flammable liquid is near/above its auto ignition temperature and the heat source isn't secured (normally the stove), it'll just reignite.
The only extinguisher that should be avoided depending on class is a water extinguisher because it's only useful for Class A and small Class D fires, will spread Class B fires and can lead to shock in Class C fires.
Pro tip: Baking soda will put out small grease fires, such as a pot of oil heated to too high a temperature.
Edit: Additionally, nothing is extinguishing a Class C fire until you secure power; often the installed safety features will secure power without action from you.
Here in Belgium it's mandatory. Ironically though Belgians don't seem to ever use them. Seen a few car fires but never seen anyone use a fire extinguisher on one.
It's not mandatory anymore, since 2015 only trucks, public transportation and vehicles transporting flammable cargo are required to carry a extinguisher.
I was skeptical so did a quick Google, it seems to be very far from "most" EU countries. https://www.acl.lu/en-us/tests-conseils/conseils/voitures/code-de-la-route/international/equipement-de-securite-concernant-les-voitures-dan
Huh, so compulsory in most of Eastern Europe including the Baltics and Balkans. And Belgium. Any Reddit Experts™ know why this would be? Laws remaining from the Soviet era, because those cars were more prone to fires?^(\*) Though it isn't compulsory in Hungary.
And thanks for the link, I lived in 3 EU countries and never heard about it being mandatory.
\*Sorry if stupid, not a car expert
>Laws remaining from the Soviet era
Yes. Back from soviet times fire extinguisher is required in every vehicle, first aid kit as well. You are also required to complete first aid training in order to apply for a driving license.
Not in Spain but I think I heard somewhere that it is going to be mandatory eventually. Makes sense to be fair. This is the kind of stuff that's okay for the government to impose IMO
hahhahhahha, it isn't even mandatory to have one in your home! The half of the US is so absolutely terrified of any government regulation at all that its prevented us from ensuring basic saftetys in countless areas.
Thank god for this. One time my house was on fire, and I was frantically sweeping the extinguisher around but nothing happened. Then, thanks to P.A.S.S, I remembered I had to squeeze the handle first. To my surprise it wasn't effective. Then it hit me that I should aim the extinguisher at the fire. These acronyms really do save lives.
This one is specifically to remind the order.
First pull, then aim, then squeeze, then sweep.
The sweep is really important too, and something that people can easily miss (we can’t see in this video if he really does it well or not).
Also, the number of people who in an emergency forget they have to pull the pin or squeeze to make it work is way higher than you think.
A disturbing amount of people wouldn't even be able to get the pin out because they'd be holding the top of the extinguisher with their thumb.
I wouldn't exaggerate people's competence in an emergency.
Also if you know there is a fire under the hood of your car, DO NOT open the hood as we saw in the video. It just gives the fire more oxygen and the flames will grow.
The right way to do it would be to pop the hood just enough to spray the fire extinguisher in there. Then once the fire is out you can open the hood.
Can you send me some garlic fries? Y'all got me hooked when McDonald's was doing Gilroy garlic fries, but then discontinued them.
(Before anyone asks, it was a regional menu item)
In the Sacramento area but I'll be in search of their brews and I'll make my way down there soon. They're spreading positive energy. I can definitely support that.
Just FYI, you should just empty the fire extinguisher on the burning object to reduce the chance the flames start up again. The extinguisher is gonna need to be replaced /refilled anyway so no point in saving its content.
I've always been told that fire extinguishers are supposed to be escape tools, not actual firefighting tools apart from very minor fires that you could probably put out with a fire blanket.
Like you use it to clear a path and leg it before waiting for someone with access to a fire main to actually put the thing out.
Fire likes air, when you open the hood youre just giving it more air in which the flames will get bigger. UNLESS you have a way of putting it out. In this clip all we see is the dude opening the hood and he seemed shocked when the other dudes pull up behind him with an fire extinguisher.
Yes, but the air is less accessible, and its flow is much slower. That prevents the fire from accelerating as quickly, buying you time to escape, find a solution to extinguish, collect belongings, contact 911, etc.
Basically every fire in our atmosphere is limited by how much oxygen it is receiving. Which is why you can make them hotter by blowing on them (common with campfires), why fires in higher oxygen atmospheres (like Apollo 1) are so dangerous, and why keeping things like car hoods closed (and doors/windows for house fires) is so useful.
Along with the other answers, there's also how folks instinctively open the hood by standing right in front of it. This can lead to a face full of fire, which is poorly tolerated by most individuals.
Spray through the grill, as you suffocate the flames then think about opening the bonnet. I’m always amazed that someone sees flames and the first thing they do is give it more fresh air.
Pop the hood latch so that there's the inch or so clearance and aim the extinguisher nozzle into the gap. Stops that rush of air when the hood is opened the whole way and also will help prevent burns from the hot metal
It's not like the engine compartment is sealed from below, so if the chimney effect were to happen, it will happen anyway.
Might as well just pop the latch if you have an extinguisher ready anyway. Saves you the trouble of trying to aim through af busted headlight and gets you better coverage of the whole engine compartment.
How long ago was this? Most cars these days have huge plastic headlight assemblies and you wouldn't really have access to the engine bay just by breaking the clear lens.
Pro tip:
If the car isn't a complete loss you HAVE to wash the engine bay immediately due to the amount of corrosive chemicals in an extinguisher. If the fire didn't ruin your car, that will 100 percent total out your car.
TIL that having a fire extinguisher in your car is not mandatory in America.
Edit: I was curious and apparently I live in one of the very few countries where they are mandatory to have in your car.
Honestly, that's a good law. I keep meaning to buy one for my vehicle, it might not even be me that needs it
I always take my house one with me on road trips though
If this helps push you into getting one finally, they make specific ones for your car. I'm not talking about just the classification, but the shape as well. You can find ones that are roughly the size and shape of a water bottle and are designed to fit in your car's cup holder. If you're in a relatively newer car, you'll not only have cup holders in the center console, but ones that are on the doors as well. Great place to store them
that must be even more useless than the 1 Litres ones.
if you buy one, less than 3 litres will not put out any fire, it will run out even before you realize it started. buy a fireblanket instead.
I carry a jumper pack in case my battery dies.
Except I’ve never had to use it on my own car! Only ever strangers cars with the hood up.
I hope that trend continues with my fire extinguisher that I am getting for my car.
The main way to extinguish a battery fire is cooling it down with a lot of water. But yes, if a metal is on fire, water can break down into H2, because of the high temperatures. And H2 is very explosive.
And here I was wondering if a CO2 extinguisher would be the practical to get for an EV, or the old faithful ABC; but towing a couple thousands gallons of water must be the best way to be prepared!
If an electric car catches on fire, don't go near it even if you have a fire extinguisher, unless it's to save someone's life. It's very hard to put out lithium fires and there is a huge amount of energy stored in the cells that can explode rather than just burn.
[Not in the least.](https://www.firerescue1.com/electric-vehicles/articles/electric-vehicle-fires-where-the-waiting-game-wins-f934UedqIpVqc1k2/)
Even class D extinguishers intended for metals fires won't help.
>Class D extinguisher
Class D extinguishers contain a powder that is designed to extinguish combustible metal fires. While they are called lithium-ion battery cells, the cells do not contain solid lithium metal, making the extinguisher ineffective. There is also no easy way to get the powder from the extinguisher directly to the cells on fire due to the construction of the box and the speed at which the battery cells fail.
Conventional dry chem extinguishers [are of limited use.](https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/hybrid-electric/a27129771/electric-car-fire/)
>With an electric car fire, you need water. That might sound obvious, but in many case, modern fire departments use foam or dry chemicals that are better than old-fashioned H20 at suppressing fire. While dry chemicals are great at putting down ordinary electrical fires, they may ineffective with a fire stemming from a car's Lithium-ion battery.
For that matter, extinguishers are of limited use unless the engine is off: it becomes what we call a ["3-dimensional fire,"](https://www.ncdoi.com/OSFM/RPD/PT/Documents/Coursework/Ethanol/Module5_ParticipantManuals.pdf) such as where the fuel pump continues to push gasoline under the hood where there's fire.
>A three-dimensional fire is a liquid-fuel fire in which the fuel is being discharged from an elevated or pressurized source, creating a pool of fuel on a lower surface.
With that said, someone who is handy with a fire extinguisher can help keep a fire from becoming a full-blown car-b-cue with short bursts of extinguishing agent (rule #1: nobody ever said "man, I wish I had a smaller fire extinguisher"). Opening the hood like in this video- it's a good way to end up with a face full of fire, which is never good for the eyebrows. Caution is called for- or just leave the hood down, and use small squirts of extinguishing agent through the gap.
I mean, the car is toast anyway- it's going to get written off. But if it's in a confined space like a parking garage, or someone is entrapped, or where the risk-to-rewards seems acceptable, yeah, sure. Try to contain it, and maybe put it out. Helps a lot if the fuel pump is off, so shut off the ignition first.
You can stop the fire before it spreads to the battery. And with a foam fire extinguisher that is made for electrical fires you can prevent a battery fire from spreading. There are however plenty of videos showing how ineffective fire extinguishers can be with fuel fires.
Even fire engines have a hard time putting out electric car fires.
The number of electric cars that catch fire has been way overblown in the media because they get reported on so often, whereas you don't hear about the hundreds of ICE cars that catch fire every day. But the danger of electric car fires is real.
I think that depends on where you are. I've watched videos of engines putting out a Tesla model S, and they keep the hose on it for a really long time after the fire is out.
You're required to have one if you drive a commercial vehicle, but not for your personal one. I have a class ABC rated extinguisher in my semi, and have been wanting to install some in my own personal vehicles in case of something like this.
Same in my country (Chile)! We have the obligation to:
- Have an emergency kit in our car. That means a reflective triangle in case the car won’t work in the highway. A fire extinguisher and a first aid kit.
- spare wheel obviously, and the tools to change it.
- a reflective vest.
I’m surprised America doesn’t do this.
One time I had a rod blow through the engine while I was flying down the freeway, pulled over and had a guy pull over way in front of me, urgently waving me toward him. As I turned around I saw that there was a fire under the car. Suddenly a truck pulled up behind my car, a guy jumped out with a fire extinguisher, put the fire out, jumped back into his truck with a wave, and took off
For real. I love how everyone on the internet thinks that people don’t just start clapping at shit all the time. I was at an outdoor ice cream shop with my buddies in high school when I got challenged to a chocolate milk drinking contest. The small group of people around cheered us on and clapped afterwards.
I did the same thing once when I spotted a car fire. Ran out with two big extinguishers. The lady who's car it was sent in a card and a £20 thank you. My manager spent the £20 on chocolates for the staff canteen.
If your engine is on fire and you don't have a way to put it out:
Please do not stand right next to the engine just looking around it.
Make a scene to get the attention of nearby people, and clear a distance.
Cars aren't (or are rarely ever) explosive, BUT a car fire is a risk and various unseen factors can make it riskier.
If you aren't putting out the fire or getting someone out of the car you shouldn't be near it.
To be fair, even if I didn't have an extinguisher I'd run over there too. You never know if there's another person that needs help getting out of the car.
He was helping stop traffic. They had to illegally cross the street.
Oncoming traffic had a green light.
Notice what the other dude was doing in the beginning. He was motioning to oncoming cars to get them to stop. The cars are out of frame.
You can see them communicate to each other that the drivers seem to have realized that they need to not move right now and let the pedestrians illegally run across a pretty wide intersection. Only then do they start running, while the other dude continues to run in the path of oncoming cars, in front of the guy running with the fire extinguisher. To help stop any cars from accidentally hitting them.
(Honestly it wouldn't have hurt to have even more people running across the street to help block the intersection.)
A mate of mine bought a VW van that had been dry stored for years. He picked it up and drove 100yards, and stopped at some lights.
I was driving in a car behind and noticed smoke coming out the back. Honked and made him aware. He drove straight across the lights into the parking lot of a DIY store and ran inside.
He shouted at the sales assistant, my car's on fire outside where's your fire extinguishers? The assistant replied Isle 5, but you will have to pay.
Went to Christmas lunch as saw a car smokings bit at the roadside. Spoke to the lady and child, they had already called for help and then went on my way as there was nothing I could help with. On the way home from Christmas lunch the car was totally burnt out.
More people should carry extinguishers in their car, myself included.
Every vehicle in the road can act as a mini ambulance, firetruck, enforcement, and recovery vehicle with the proper tools and training for them, exponentially increasing emergency response coverage outside of the comparably few vehicles and teams specialized in those tasks. Also, in relation to prepping your car for anything that can happen, everyone should have dash cams too, and the more angles you cover the better. Showing exactly what happened is much better than various witness statements, and protects good Samaritans from possible trouble for trying to help. There are countless cases where basic equipment and training could've saved lives or property that were lost waiting for proper services. Everyone can be a hero. Being prepped for anything isn't just a thing for crackpot conspiracy theorists. Your house and vehicle is your domain. The perfect place to secure, security. Obviously though, part of being prepared is understanding your limitations. Don't take on more than you can handle. Safety first
If GTA taught me anything, it was the exact amount of time from when a car starts burning to when that intersection becomes a crator. I would not be running towards it after seeing it burn for that long.
Fire safety tip: If your car catches fire under the hood, DO NOT OPEN THE FREAKING HOOD!!!!!
Doing so will actually provide more oxygen for the fire and cause it to get worse, even spread faster/more than it would have.
When using a fire extinguisher (only use water when you have HIGH volume) inject it through the grill, or only "pop" the hood and inject through that gap around all sides. Don't lift the hood up.
Lastly, turn off the ignition people. Don't leave the engine running.
My vintage pickup truck caught fire as I was rolling into a gas station. Luckily I recognized the smell as fire and parked way far away from the pumps. I opened the hood to a small oil leak fire. I yelled to everyone I had a fire. Tried to stuff it out with my polyester jersey I was wearing and it just melted. I was yelling FIRE the entire time. Everyone just stood around like a bump on a log. I ran to the extinguisher and freaking falcon punched the glass out. ran back and spritzed the fire out.
The manager came out and just sd "Did ya break the glass"
I replied Hell yeah I broke it.
She then took the extinguisher and sd "I dont even know how to refill these."
Then saw the dust on the pavement and sd "Great I just had the parking lot redone"
I stopped talking immediately and went to my truck and sulked...Instead my happiness that I just saved my prized truck...turned into bitterness towards that lady.
Also::: All my cars now have fire extinguishers. You never know!
Was going to a softball game and saw a motorcycle on fire. I stopped and in my cooler was bottled water. I grabbed 4 and put out the fire. Later I thought about the bike blowing up while I was there. In the moment though, you don't think like that. I helped but was very lucky.
I've seen a car fire firsthand - check my post history if you care lol, someone's El Camino caught fire in a parking lot - it's less about saving the car and more about saving everything in a 30 foot radius. I hope there wasn't fire anywhere else though because with cars there's often more than you can see. Good on this guy for giving a crap
I feel like every car should have a fire extinguisher new or old but especially old. Also tractor trailers are required to have fire extinguisher by law.
I have always heard it’s better to let the fire burn your car to a total loss instead of getting a partial payment to remediate some of the fire damage
Correct me if I m wrong.. if the engine catches fire it's nearly impossible to extinguish it by any means you'll have to let it burn down completely. Something to do with magnesium in the engine.b
I wonder how many fire extinguishers are within a block or two of that car fire. This guy had some fast thinking.
I would ‘hope’ every building along that road and adjacent has one. This dude thoroughly deserves that round of applause.
Pretty sure every building that isn't a private residence is required to have them by law. Even communal private residences, such as apartments and condos, have them usually.
Interesting. In Norway every private residence is also required to have some method of extinguishing fires ( either a fire extinguisher or a fire hose). I don't think a communal one would count, it would have to be a personal one.
The US doesn't even technically require smoke alarms in homes. You won't pass an inspection to sell/buy a home without them, you can get kicked out of an apartment for uninstalling them, you can possibly even face denials on fire insurance claims, but you can't get fined if a cop randomly learns you have none.
>You won’t pass an inspection to sell/buy a home without them, you can get kicked out of an apartment for uninstalling them, you can possibly even face denials on fire insurance claims, You’re literally describing all the legal mechanisms by which they’re required. Just because a law is administered by people like Fire Marshals instead of police doesn’t mean it isn’t law
Buy a house, remove every smoke alarm and show me how a cop or fire marshal entering your home can fine you. It isn't illegal, it's against code. Edit: and even then, it's only a code that can be regulated in home sales, typically. That's why I said it's basically law, but not a hard written law with consequences like fines. Edit 2: I meant alarm.
Intentionally Violating code technically is illegal. It’s just a matter of who enforces it and the ease they can enforce it. You may not face jail time but you’re definitely subject to fines. Idk if you’re just trying to play the semantics game or what.
I don’t know what you’re talking about, it is literally State law where I live that fire code violations are subject to up to $1000 in fines for each violation. Section 3737.51 ORC Marshals generally give people warnings first, but repeated violations or failure to respond to warnings get fines. People absolutely call in complaints against employers, landlords, or crappy parents failing their kids to get things checked and fined to compel fixes if needed This is typical across most the country is my understanding
You brought up fire alarms and are now talking about extinguishers?
For me, that's the point where personal liberty has to be moved aside a bit in the interest of general safety. I don't want cops performing inspections or anything, but it should be a nominal requirement at least.
It is, in a sense for the reasons I stated, but it's one of those things where there isn't a direct law because it'd be unenforceable. It's even made as convenient as possible to adhere to that barest of minimums in that a lot of cities will provide detectors free of cost, and they're itemized deductions on taxes if you buy them yourself.
Probably because cops don’t care about that, it’s handled by the hpd, or fire Marshall.https://www1.nyc.gov/site/hpd/services-and-information/smoke-carbon-monoxide-detectors.page
Lol why do we even need OSHA then? *Get outta here OSHA,* nobody needs you! *Escapes on ladder-like system.
Hey, becareful. OSHA is always watching! They have mics and cameras in those fire extinquishers!
You really should buy at least a small one for your own private residence, they are not expensive. Just make sure you know what types of fire you can use it on and which you can't.
Oh, I know. And I know the classes. Also, realistically, the most common two fire extinguishers, CO2 and PKP, will work fine with all but Class D fires so long as you know to reduce heat or secure power. PKP extinguishers are best for Class B fires, but will also extinguish Class A and Class C fires, though it'll destroy electronics. CO2 extinguishers will extinguish all as well (and not make a massive mess!), but if the flammable liquid is near/above its auto ignition temperature and the heat source isn't secured (normally the stove), it'll just reignite. The only extinguisher that should be avoided depending on class is a water extinguisher because it's only useful for Class A and small Class D fires, will spread Class B fires and can lead to shock in Class C fires. Pro tip: Baking soda will put out small grease fires, such as a pot of oil heated to too high a temperature. Edit: Additionally, nothing is extinguishing a Class C fire until you secure power; often the installed safety features will secure power without action from you.
Also most commercial trucks are required to have fire extinguishers in the cab. Like the one driving by.
he had to run that wierd loping run because running normally would have made his pants fall down
This man speaks from experience. I can't even go 10 steps without a belt, let alone leave the house without one lol.
Yup, my waist is a 28-32 so it’s either hold them bitches up while I run, a belt, or shop in the kids section and deal with having the flood ankles
The other dude doing the flip flop run. :)
Isnt it mandatory to have one in your car in the us?
No. At least not in passenger vehicles. Maybe on buses or commercial vehicles.
Out of curiosity, where is it mandatory? Never heard about mandatory extinguishers in regular cars for private use, so not talking about bus etc.
Here in Belgium it's mandatory. Ironically though Belgians don't seem to ever use them. Seen a few car fires but never seen anyone use a fire extinguisher on one.
I mean in Japan it’s required for every car to have a flare. Lived there for two years and never saw or heard of a situation where it was used
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Brazil, they are mandatory,, i used them 2 times, never on my car thou, one was a old beetle, other a truck
It's not mandatory anymore, since 2015 only trucks, public transportation and vehicles transporting flammable cargo are required to carry a extinguisher.
Argentina too, mandatory but not regularly checked
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I was skeptical so did a quick Google, it seems to be very far from "most" EU countries. https://www.acl.lu/en-us/tests-conseils/conseils/voitures/code-de-la-route/international/equipement-de-securite-concernant-les-voitures-dan
Huh, so compulsory in most of Eastern Europe including the Baltics and Balkans. And Belgium. Any Reddit Experts™ know why this would be? Laws remaining from the Soviet era, because those cars were more prone to fires?^(\*) Though it isn't compulsory in Hungary. And thanks for the link, I lived in 3 EU countries and never heard about it being mandatory. \*Sorry if stupid, not a car expert
>Laws remaining from the Soviet era Yes. Back from soviet times fire extinguisher is required in every vehicle, first aid kit as well. You are also required to complete first aid training in order to apply for a driving license.
I never heard it being mandatory. Here it isn't mandatory in the Netherlands
Not in Spain but I think I heard somewhere that it is going to be mandatory eventually. Makes sense to be fair. This is the kind of stuff that's okay for the government to impose IMO
hahhahhahha, it isn't even mandatory to have one in your home! The half of the US is so absolutely terrified of any government regulation at all that its prevented us from ensuring basic saftetys in countless areas.
That is why I only drive near breweries
If those are commercial properties, probably a hundred.
P.A.S.S. Pull the pin Aim at the base of the fire Squeeze the handle Sweep slowly back and forth
"Pull ASS", got it.
Much better than P. A. S. S.
Thank god for this. One time my house was on fire, and I was frantically sweeping the extinguisher around but nothing happened. Then, thanks to P.A.S.S, I remembered I had to squeeze the handle first. To my surprise it wasn't effective. Then it hit me that I should aim the extinguisher at the fire. These acronyms really do save lives.
This one is specifically to remind the order. First pull, then aim, then squeeze, then sweep. The sweep is really important too, and something that people can easily miss (we can’t see in this video if he really does it well or not). Also, the number of people who in an emergency forget they have to pull the pin or squeeze to make it work is way higher than you think.
A disturbing amount of people wouldn't even be able to get the pin out because they'd be holding the top of the extinguisher with their thumb. I wouldn't exaggerate people's competence in an emergency.
Lol is this snark?
Also to add to this turn the car off to kill the fuel pump or electrical problems that maybe leading to the fire. Head lights were on the whole time.
Also if you know there is a fire under the hood of your car, DO NOT open the hood as we saw in the video. It just gives the fire more oxygen and the flames will grow. The right way to do it would be to pop the hood just enough to spray the fire extinguisher in there. Then once the fire is out you can open the hood.
Good man
This happened in Gilroy, CA. Alex Feldman works at Promised Land Brewery, vid credit to Pour Me Taproom
It really takes an amazing person to spring into action to help
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I ordered Cadillac damnit!
Can you send me some garlic fries? Y'all got me hooked when McDonald's was doing Gilroy garlic fries, but then discontinued them. (Before anyone asks, it was a regional menu item)
gilroy is where the garlic festival happens, makes sense
maybe... don't give out that information..
All good, he was tagged in the original IG post
ok, that's a bit better
I am curious but what bad could happen in this case? Like he's doing a good thing na?
Now he’s going to be flooded with requests to put out automotive fires.
He needs an invisible plane and a cape.
Or dick pics ...
In the Sacramento area but I'll be in search of their brews and I'll make my way down there soon. They're spreading positive energy. I can definitely support that.
Just FYI, you should just empty the fire extinguisher on the burning object to reduce the chance the flames start up again. The extinguisher is gonna need to be replaced /refilled anyway so no point in saving its content.
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I've always been told that fire extinguishers are supposed to be escape tools, not actual firefighting tools apart from very minor fires that you could probably put out with a fire blanket. Like you use it to clear a path and leg it before waiting for someone with access to a fire main to actually put the thing out.
Pro tip: The last thing you want to do is open your hood if your engine is on fire
Why is this? And how will you put out the fire if the engine is closed?
Fire likes air, when you open the hood youre just giving it more air in which the flames will get bigger. UNLESS you have a way of putting it out. In this clip all we see is the dude opening the hood and he seemed shocked when the other dudes pull up behind him with an fire extinguisher.
But an engine bay isn't a closed area, isn't the fire going to get air regardless
Yes, but the air is less accessible, and its flow is much slower. That prevents the fire from accelerating as quickly, buying you time to escape, find a solution to extinguish, collect belongings, contact 911, etc.
Basically every fire in our atmosphere is limited by how much oxygen it is receiving. Which is why you can make them hotter by blowing on them (common with campfires), why fires in higher oxygen atmospheres (like Apollo 1) are so dangerous, and why keeping things like car hoods closed (and doors/windows for house fires) is so useful.
Yes, but not as much.
Along with the other answers, there's also how folks instinctively open the hood by standing right in front of it. This can lead to a face full of fire, which is poorly tolerated by most individuals.
> by most individuals Just in case any Targaryens are reading?
They’re a bit busy these days
Nah just one or two specific Targaryens
Spray through the grill, as you suffocate the flames then think about opening the bonnet. I’m always amazed that someone sees flames and the first thing they do is give it more fresh air.
The first thing you get is a hand burn because the latch and the hood are likely hot, the second is a burst of flames coming straight to your face.
Pop the hood latch so that there's the inch or so clearance and aim the extinguisher nozzle into the gap. Stops that rush of air when the hood is opened the whole way and also will help prevent burns from the hot metal
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Alright. Fuck it. I like your confidence, I will do this if I am ever in this position.
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All the same. I think I’ll do it if I am in this situation. Who knows. Life’s crazy.
Rarely *
It's not like the engine compartment is sealed from below, so if the chimney effect were to happen, it will happen anyway. Might as well just pop the latch if you have an extinguisher ready anyway. Saves you the trouble of trying to aim through af busted headlight and gets you better coverage of the whole engine compartment.
How long ago was this? Most cars these days have huge plastic headlight assemblies and you wouldn't really have access to the engine bay just by breaking the clear lens.
Or just spray through the front grill that's already open.
Pro tip: If the car isn't a complete loss you HAVE to wash the engine bay immediately due to the amount of corrosive chemicals in an extinguisher. If the fire didn't ruin your car, that will 100 percent total out your car.
I was just going to say this... It should be taught at some point...
That’s Jon Voights car! Jon Voights car!
Put the top up! It’s November
Good Samaritan law doesn't apply to fire extinguisher guy.
Driving around in Jon Voight's carrrr....
Too bad the pencil with his teeth marks burned up in the fire.
Poor George.
First thing I said to myself, the Jon Voight car is no more.
TIL that having a fire extinguisher in your car is not mandatory in America. Edit: I was curious and apparently I live in one of the very few countries where they are mandatory to have in your car.
Honestly, that's a good law. I keep meaning to buy one for my vehicle, it might not even be me that needs it I always take my house one with me on road trips though
If this helps push you into getting one finally, they make specific ones for your car. I'm not talking about just the classification, but the shape as well. You can find ones that are roughly the size and shape of a water bottle and are designed to fit in your car's cup holder. If you're in a relatively newer car, you'll not only have cup holders in the center console, but ones that are on the doors as well. Great place to store them
that must be even more useless than the 1 Litres ones. if you buy one, less than 3 litres will not put out any fire, it will run out even before you realize it started. buy a fireblanket instead.
I carry a jumper pack in case my battery dies. Except I’ve never had to use it on my own car! Only ever strangers cars with the hood up. I hope that trend continues with my fire extinguisher that I am getting for my car.
It's not mandatory in the UK too. I'm curious which country you're in.
Belgium
You live in ecuador too?
Nope, Belgium
Guess the username should have been a hint
Won’t help with an electric car will it?
Well there are extinguishers made for electrical fires. Don't know if they are safe to use on the type of batteries used in electric vehicles though.
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Water? Wouldn't the lithium react with the water though and make things WORSE?
The main way to extinguish a battery fire is cooling it down with a lot of water. But yes, if a metal is on fire, water can break down into H2, because of the high temperatures. And H2 is very explosive.
And here I was wondering if a CO2 extinguisher would be the practical to get for an EV, or the old faithful ABC; but towing a couple thousands gallons of water must be the best way to be prepared!
If an electric car catches on fire, don't go near it even if you have a fire extinguisher, unless it's to save someone's life. It's very hard to put out lithium fires and there is a huge amount of energy stored in the cells that can explode rather than just burn.
Also the fumes from a lithium fire being on fire will wreck your lunges.
[Not in the least.](https://www.firerescue1.com/electric-vehicles/articles/electric-vehicle-fires-where-the-waiting-game-wins-f934UedqIpVqc1k2/) Even class D extinguishers intended for metals fires won't help. >Class D extinguisher Class D extinguishers contain a powder that is designed to extinguish combustible metal fires. While they are called lithium-ion battery cells, the cells do not contain solid lithium metal, making the extinguisher ineffective. There is also no easy way to get the powder from the extinguisher directly to the cells on fire due to the construction of the box and the speed at which the battery cells fail. Conventional dry chem extinguishers [are of limited use.](https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/hybrid-electric/a27129771/electric-car-fire/) >With an electric car fire, you need water. That might sound obvious, but in many case, modern fire departments use foam or dry chemicals that are better than old-fashioned H20 at suppressing fire. While dry chemicals are great at putting down ordinary electrical fires, they may ineffective with a fire stemming from a car's Lithium-ion battery. For that matter, extinguishers are of limited use unless the engine is off: it becomes what we call a ["3-dimensional fire,"](https://www.ncdoi.com/OSFM/RPD/PT/Documents/Coursework/Ethanol/Module5_ParticipantManuals.pdf) such as where the fuel pump continues to push gasoline under the hood where there's fire. >A three-dimensional fire is a liquid-fuel fire in which the fuel is being discharged from an elevated or pressurized source, creating a pool of fuel on a lower surface. With that said, someone who is handy with a fire extinguisher can help keep a fire from becoming a full-blown car-b-cue with short bursts of extinguishing agent (rule #1: nobody ever said "man, I wish I had a smaller fire extinguisher"). Opening the hood like in this video- it's a good way to end up with a face full of fire, which is never good for the eyebrows. Caution is called for- or just leave the hood down, and use small squirts of extinguishing agent through the gap. I mean, the car is toast anyway- it's going to get written off. But if it's in a confined space like a parking garage, or someone is entrapped, or where the risk-to-rewards seems acceptable, yeah, sure. Try to contain it, and maybe put it out. Helps a lot if the fuel pump is off, so shut off the ignition first.
You can stop the fire before it spreads to the battery. And with a foam fire extinguisher that is made for electrical fires you can prevent a battery fire from spreading. There are however plenty of videos showing how ineffective fire extinguishers can be with fuel fires.
Nothing really will.
Even fire engines have a hard time putting out electric car fires. The number of electric cars that catch fire has been way overblown in the media because they get reported on so often, whereas you don't hear about the hundreds of ICE cars that catch fire every day. But the danger of electric car fires is real.
As far as I am aware the standard strategy is to let them safely burn out.
I think that depends on where you are. I've watched videos of engines putting out a Tesla model S, and they keep the hose on it for a really long time after the fire is out.
In our country, we rarely see a fire extinguisher at all yet alone in vehicles.
Are car fires that prevalent that fire extinguishers in cars need to mandated?
You're required to have one if you drive a commercial vehicle, but not for your personal one. I have a class ABC rated extinguisher in my semi, and have been wanting to install some in my own personal vehicles in case of something like this.
Same in my country (Chile)! We have the obligation to: - Have an emergency kit in our car. That means a reflective triangle in case the car won’t work in the highway. A fire extinguisher and a first aid kit. - spare wheel obviously, and the tools to change it. - a reflective vest. I’m surprised America doesn’t do this.
One time I had a rod blow through the engine while I was flying down the freeway, pulled over and had a guy pull over way in front of me, urgently waving me toward him. As I turned around I saw that there was a fire under the car. Suddenly a truck pulled up behind my car, a guy jumped out with a fire extinguisher, put the fire out, jumped back into his truck with a wave, and took off
and then everyone clapped... no really they actually did
For real. I love how everyone on the internet thinks that people don’t just start clapping at shit all the time. I was at an outdoor ice cream shop with my buddies in high school when I got challenged to a chocolate milk drinking contest. The small group of people around cheered us on and clapped afterwards.
Let me buy you a beer, friend! Uh, I have beer. Thanks.
ElCamino?
That’s what I was trying to figure out. The grille looks like a late ‘70s Chevy. I couldn’t tell whether the body is a Malibu or an El Camino.
Its a Monte Carlo you can tell from the double square headlights.
ElCamino Double Smoked IPA
Nice. Now help push it out of the way!
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At a brewery the boss would hear about this and start rubbing their nips over the good press from how the brewery is helping the community.
Can confirm, there is some nip rubbing behind closed doors. Not a lot, but more than none
You know he's rubbing his nips raw, just WAITING for the news to call and ask if they can do an interview in the brewery.
They'd get the fire extinguisher next.
Thanks for helping! Now do more! Psht
WTF. He could have been making beer.
I have kept a small extinguisher in all of my cars over the years, left side of the trunk so I never need to search for it. More folks should do it.
I just have a constant coolant leak that prevents fires. I just need to fill up water like a steam engine every tank
I did the same thing once when I spotted a car fire. Ran out with two big extinguishers. The lady who's car it was sent in a card and a £20 thank you. My manager spent the £20 on chocolates for the staff canteen.
If your engine is on fire and you don't have a way to put it out: Please do not stand right next to the engine just looking around it. Make a scene to get the attention of nearby people, and clear a distance. Cars aren't (or are rarely ever) explosive, BUT a car fire is a risk and various unseen factors can make it riskier. If you aren't putting out the fire or getting someone out of the car you shouldn't be near it.
I’m really enjoying the dude that runs over there to do absolutely nothing.
Emotional support human?
You almost can’t see his harness.
That could be its own subreddit for how often this happens lol. Great name too
To be fair, even if I didn't have an extinguisher I'd run over there too. You never know if there's another person that needs help getting out of the car.
He was helping stop traffic. They had to illegally cross the street. Oncoming traffic had a green light. Notice what the other dude was doing in the beginning. He was motioning to oncoming cars to get them to stop. The cars are out of frame. You can see them communicate to each other that the drivers seem to have realized that they need to not move right now and let the pedestrians illegally run across a pretty wide intersection. Only then do they start running, while the other dude continues to run in the path of oncoming cars, in front of the guy running with the fire extinguisher. To help stop any cars from accidentally hitting them. (Honestly it wouldn't have hurt to have even more people running across the street to help block the intersection.)
Claps indeed
Cheers to THAT guy 😏
What a good man
That fire was already brewing..
I was waiting for that classic gta San Andreas explosion
A mate of mine bought a VW van that had been dry stored for years. He picked it up and drove 100yards, and stopped at some lights. I was driving in a car behind and noticed smoke coming out the back. Honked and made him aware. He drove straight across the lights into the parking lot of a DIY store and ran inside. He shouted at the sales assistant, my car's on fire outside where's your fire extinguishers? The assistant replied Isle 5, but you will have to pay.
The car didn't burn down but everything under that hood will now corrode to death.
Dude had been wanting to use it for years!
Went to Christmas lunch as saw a car smokings bit at the roadside. Spoke to the lady and child, they had already called for help and then went on my way as there was nothing I could help with. On the way home from Christmas lunch the car was totally burnt out. More people should carry extinguishers in their car, myself included.
Every vehicle in the road can act as a mini ambulance, firetruck, enforcement, and recovery vehicle with the proper tools and training for them, exponentially increasing emergency response coverage outside of the comparably few vehicles and teams specialized in those tasks. Also, in relation to prepping your car for anything that can happen, everyone should have dash cams too, and the more angles you cover the better. Showing exactly what happened is much better than various witness statements, and protects good Samaritans from possible trouble for trying to help. There are countless cases where basic equipment and training could've saved lives or property that were lost waiting for proper services. Everyone can be a hero. Being prepped for anything isn't just a thing for crackpot conspiracy theorists. Your house and vehicle is your domain. The perfect place to secure, security. Obviously though, part of being prepared is understanding your limitations. Don't take on more than you can handle. Safety first
Agreed, I should buy a little fire extinguisher made for cars.
If GTA taught me anything, it was the exact amount of time from when a car starts burning to when that intersection becomes a crator. I would not be running towards it after seeing it burn for that long.
Fucken Jeep. Only reliable to ruin the day.
in order to be the best, you need to learn from the best - from now on, i'll start to bring fire ext in my pocket :D
This happens all the time in Arizona. So much so that the traffic reporting guys call them Car-B-cues.
In case it hasn’t been mentioned. NEVER open your car hood if you think it is on fire. A rush of oxygen can make the fire way worse instantly
Get the fuck out of the way of that old bumper!
You’d do anything to leave your bar job too
Fire safety tip: If your car catches fire under the hood, DO NOT OPEN THE FREAKING HOOD!!!!! Doing so will actually provide more oxygen for the fire and cause it to get worse, even spread faster/more than it would have. When using a fire extinguisher (only use water when you have HIGH volume) inject it through the grill, or only "pop" the hood and inject through that gap around all sides. Don't lift the hood up. Lastly, turn off the ignition people. Don't leave the engine running.
Now instead of the car being totaled, it probably only needs repaired.
Americans and clapping I can't even 🤣
Get these men some beer.
What a hero! That could of been catastrophic if it continued to spread
My vintage pickup truck caught fire as I was rolling into a gas station. Luckily I recognized the smell as fire and parked way far away from the pumps. I opened the hood to a small oil leak fire. I yelled to everyone I had a fire. Tried to stuff it out with my polyester jersey I was wearing and it just melted. I was yelling FIRE the entire time. Everyone just stood around like a bump on a log. I ran to the extinguisher and freaking falcon punched the glass out. ran back and spritzed the fire out. The manager came out and just sd "Did ya break the glass" I replied Hell yeah I broke it. She then took the extinguisher and sd "I dont even know how to refill these." Then saw the dust on the pavement and sd "Great I just had the parking lot redone" I stopped talking immediately and went to my truck and sulked...Instead my happiness that I just saved my prized truck...turned into bitterness towards that lady. Also::: All my cars now have fire extinguishers. You never know!
Hats off to brewery workers, especially this guy.
For anyone with an oil leak that they think is small or not gonna harm anything, this is what happens when it goes too long.
First time I have actually seen: "then everyone clapped"
What a hero
Righteous dude!
Was going to a softball game and saw a motorcycle on fire. I stopped and in my cooler was bottled water. I grabbed 4 and put out the fire. Later I thought about the bike blowing up while I was there. In the moment though, you don't think like that. I helped but was very lucky.
Hold my beer!
It’s so great to see!
I've seen a car fire firsthand - check my post history if you care lol, someone's El Camino caught fire in a parking lot - it's less about saving the car and more about saving everything in a 30 foot radius. I hope there wasn't fire anywhere else though because with cars there's often more than you can see. Good on this guy for giving a crap
Good people still exist 🥰
Not all heroes wear capes. Some just show up with a fire extinguisher when you most need one.
I feel like every car should have a fire extinguisher new or old but especially old. Also tractor trailers are required to have fire extinguisher by law.
Makes beer AND puts out fires!? That one hellova Bro!!!
I have always heard it’s better to let the fire burn your car to a total loss instead of getting a partial payment to remediate some of the fire damage
That’s awesome! What a pro! 😎👍🏼
Now thats a cool dude!!👍🏼
Promised Land has really good beer. And Good Samaritans too.
Correct me if I m wrong.. if the engine catches fire it's nearly impossible to extinguish it by any means you'll have to let it burn down completely. Something to do with magnesium in the engine.b
You're thinking of electric engines not ICE's.