Fire extinguisher in vehicle

Back about 1970 , when I had my Alfa Romeo , was the start of the pollution control days .One thing they did was retard timing for a leaner mix .That increased temperatures in the engine compartment and rubber products started to fail. Depending on the maker radiator hoses, fan belts or fuel lines would fail.With the A-R it was the fuel line .Isaw a tech bulletin about replacing them and found mine had cracked half way through the tube wall !!! About that time I saw an A-R burned up , maybe a fuel line ? Anyway I got wise fast and bought a fire extinguisher.I still have that one in the vehicle along with a new one.
Go to a maker website and learn about them to pick a suitable type. Some types by the way will cause problems in cleaning up especially as they might damage electronics.
A car can catch fire and be totally destroyed in very short time !! If you have a hybrid understand that the voltages can be dangerously high!
 
InfidelShootist said:
Everyone with some balls,good health and brains should be prepared to do a little first responding if it's necessary.
Grown men should be able to do more then just watch people burn or be shot/beat to death.
Click to expand...

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." -- Robert Heinlein
 
theonew said:
... when I looked down and saw my sandal on fire. ...
Click to expand...

Can I make fun of you for wearing sandals? :p
Thanks for the post. I am going out right now to put one in our van.
I saved my house from burning in 2003 when my wife set the bathroom on fire with a candle. No more house candles. We had guests at the time and they both realized they didn't even have a fire extinguisher in their house.

The more I think about it this is probably one of the best posts relating to survival (and maybe not wilderness). Consider all the talk of ancient bowdrill fire starters, firesteels and tinder and cotton balls ... it's way easy to start a fire, a little more difficult to put one out in the wrong conditions.
 
I carry a five pound Ansul Sentry. I get it serviced twice a year.

The only time I encountered a car on fire, the city fire truck was already there. I let the professionals handle the job.
 
I carry a 5lbs extingisher in my "exploder:p" I have used it a few times at accidents and at a dumpster fire.

If you carry an extingisher in your vehicle make sure you tip it upside down and shake it every few months. Vibration from the road will make the powder compress and plug the nozzel. Also if you use your extingisher have it reacharged asap. Even a brief spray can cause powder to prevent the unit from sealing totally closed causeing a very slow leak.
 
WERY WERY GOOD ADWICE! .....Speaking of hybrid autos, I had a conversation with an EMT friend in Eastern KY. They had already been trained on the new dangers of responding to hybrid wrecks. The burning hydrogen from the fuel cells(?) is colorless, odor free, invisble. You can incinerate yourself in new York minute before you realize there is even a fire. Seems standard equipment is a straw broom to use a fire detector. *Same as for super heated steam. Wave it in front of you as you advance it it bursts into flame or vaporizes, stop advancing.

*'Learned that from a man that spent his adult career in Nuclear energy industry.
 
I just picked up a cannister of Tundra from First Alert to replace the 10 year old Halon extinguisher in my saddlebags.
 
Anyone know the temperature rating on the mentioned extinguishers? I have some qualms with leaving one in my trunk when it is 15 degrees out. That or 115 degrees. At least if it explodes my car won't burn up lol.
 
riz_aaroni said:
Anyone know the temperature rating on the mentioned extinguishers? I have some qualms with leaving one in my trunk when it is 15 degrees out. That or 115 degrees. At least if it explodes my car won't burn up lol.
Click to expand...


I live in the Adirondacks in NY where it can hit 115 inside my vehicle in the summer and -25F on a cold winter night.

No problems with the ABC and Halon extinguishers I've had. Just take them out (the ABC type; I think Halon extinquishers are no longer available) and shake them up once in a while to prevent the contents from settling and caking.

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
My dry chemical ABC says "operable temp range -40F to 140F"
 
Awesome. I think I will pick one up. I've seen enough pictures of burning/burnt out buses and cars(even some first hand experience with cars) to know I never want that to happen. It is like you are driving a really expensive tinder box.
 
I have a 5lb dry chem in front of the drivers seat, ready to grab, one 5lb dry chem mounted on the truck rack, and i used to have 2 x 20lber pressurized water and fire foam extinguishers loose in the truck box, but i used them on a grass fire in the woods sparked by my catalytic converter.

I have used my dry chems (they are rechargeable) to put out vehicle fires i have come across, and once used it to get an attacking pitbull off a guy.

fire extinguishers have cost me a lot of money over the years, but its money well spent.



EVERY vehicle should have a LEAST a 5lb dry chem handy (locked in the trunk is not handy) and KNOW how to use it.
 
Bushman5 said:
EVERY vehicle should have a LEAST a 5lb dry chem handy (locked in the trunk is not handy) and KNOW how to use it.
Click to expand...

True. Having quick access to one and being able to properly use one are key. Could wind up making things much worse and wasting time retrieving it if not careful.
 
I ended up tucking mine between the drivers seat and the door, on the floor. Perfect fit. If i remove the crappy 17 year old AM radio console off the shifter hump, i could mount another one with brackets.
 
I keep one in my car, although, in the trunk as there is no where else for it. I go it after i had the fuel system wiring short on my old jetta, that fuel system held 70psi and maintained it when the engine was off, so had the rail or an injector failed, it could have been bad, but pulling off a battery cable put the fire out. melted all of the wiring in the dash though, and not a single blown fuse or link. my next vehicle was a propane powered truck, so it made sense. just seems like a good thing to have.
 
That's not high pressure. The new direct injection gasoline engines such as Ford's Ecoboost have pressures close to 3000 psi !!!
 
I carry a fire extinguisher in the boot of my cars , and one in the cab , got one near my wood fire in the house , one in the kitchen , one in the shed .

I used the one in the car 2x , once was when some guy pulled off the road to answer his mobile phone , and pulled into long dry grass that promptly caught fire under his car from the hot exhaust .

and another time when I was trying to get service at the local wreckers but they were busy trying to put out a fire they started with an oxy torch that was looking like getting out of hand , I put it out at the time so I could get them to serve me , but after realised that I probably saved a realy bad situation from happening , they didnt have anything to control or put out the fire with , and probably the whole yard would have gone up .

I have only had to replace the ones in the house when we had foster kids come thru who were real feral and or real curious about them :)

fwiw , in the bush I know a number of people who have a couple cans of beer or lemonaide in the car boot , as a stand by drink cum fire extinguisher . waste of a beer but it works to put out a fire in a pinch
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top