Who has a fire extinguisher in their house ?

[Shannow]

Mentioned in another thread about carrying a fire extinguisher around, and has me thinking.

http://www.slasap.com/didyouknow.htm

Obviously a lot of fires go unreported, as you have the "why was I so stupid" factor, and a lot are put out by homeowners with fire extinguishers/blankets handy. A lot of burglaries go unreported, as garages were left open whatnot.

Given such a low prevalence of house fires with attendance by fire brigade, why is carrying a fire extinguisher suck a good idea ?

And before we get to the "guns are specifically designed to kill"...well no, both a gun and a fire extinguisher are designed specifically to ensure the longevity of the person wielding it.

 

[eljefino]

I keep a couple boxes of baking soda on the mantle over my wood stove. If stove goes nuts, I could chuck them in, slam the door, and they'll melt and off gas CO2 and slow down/ put out the fire.

No fire extinguisher in the house per se but I do have one in the garage where I weld and what not.

There's a database here of "guilty houses" for which the fire dept has been called, its shared among insurance companies and IIRC the "guilt" stays with the property even if it gets new owners. I keep a high deductible and don't plan to put in for claims for small stuff.

 

[Shannow]

As to insurance, given the weather conditions down here, the Co's aren't offering insurance quotes to anyone...you either have/pay a renewal, or you wait until the weather (and arsonists) are over.

 

[DaHen]

We have three small two litre foam fire extinguishers made by Kidde here. They are about sixteen years old but the gauge is still in the green area.

Just hope we don't need to use them

 

[Turk]

I got a few of them + one in the Boat.

 

[hypervish]

I have two fire extinguishers, one I keep in the garage, the other in the basement.

 

[demarpaint]

I have two in the house, and one in the garage. I also have one in my work van.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Shannow

And before we get to the "guns are specifically designed to kill"...well no, both a gun and a fire extinguisher are designed specifically to ensure the longevity of the person wielding it.


So the intent of the rapidly moving projectile at its basis isnt to puncture, expand and injure/kill? Easy yes or no answer to that one. Dont need handwaving arguments. just want to understand.

 

[Eddie]

One in the garage by the kitchen door

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
So the intent of the rapidly moving projectile at its basis isnt to puncture, expand and injure/kill? Easy yes or no answer to that one. Dont need handwaving arguments. just want to understand.


Yes. Happy?

Now is that purpose for offensive or defensive purposes? Might it be possible for it to be for both?

 

[kennethcarter]

I have a pair of extinguishers. One kept in store room and other one kept in between kitchen and bedroom. Never had any incidence to use them yet.

 

[BobsArmory]

So the intent of the rapidly moving projectile at its basis isnt to puncture, expand and injure/kill? Easy yes or no answer to that one. Dont need handwaving arguments. just want to understand. [/quote]

Actually most of the bullets I hand load are designed to puncture paper but are not designed to expand or kill since they are FMJ or target bullets like the Sierra Matchking line of bullets

Oh, I have 3 units in my house. One each in the garage, basement and main living area

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: kennethcarter
I have a pair of extinguishers. One kept in store room and other one kept in between kitchen and bedroom. Never had any incidence to use them yet.


A pair of them??? What are you, a prepper?

Next you'll be telling us they're high capacity too...

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
So the intent of the rapidly moving projectile at its basis isnt to puncture, expand and injure/kill? Easy yes or no answer to that one. Dont need handwaving arguments. just want to understand.


Yes. Happy?

Now is that purpose for offensive or defensive purposes? Might it be possible for it to be for both?


The question really is if the extinguisher is stolen, do criminals take them out and kill people?

This whole thread/"argument" is silly, because one has to consider the secondary and ternary effects of this stuff. That's not an anti-gun statement, its a practical question. Only those with blinders on, on either side, can't discuss in a meaningful manner. No need for sily analogs that dont hold real relevance.

 

[Donald]

I have a couple and my goal is to replace any they are older than 10 years. I keep the old ones and put a label w/date on them. I'll pick up a new one first, but if it runs out, then I go for the older ones. Well thats the plan.

On my boat I have several as required.

 

[supton]

Secondary and third and so forth effects... Interesting.

The fact that you disagree with something does not make it wrong.

I think you miss the fact that the analogs are presented with the same wrong emotion as many of the calls for more strict gun control. Many of the emotional calls are attempting to base restrictions on the notion that no-one "needs" this sort of killing power or capacity. If we yield to this slippery slope of justifying the legality or illegality of anything and everything on the basis of "need" or "don't need" then there will be no end to what can be next on the agenda.

C. S. Lewis:
Quote:
Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.


As for secondary effects, while I was in college many a fire extinguisher (and fire alarm) was set off with regularity. I recall nearly missing an 8am final due to an alarm at 3am. No one died, of course, but that secondary effect was merely the uncontrollable conclusion to the factors involved--and no one is very interested in changing the factors. [The factors being dorm rooms, a number of immature people, the need for easy access to fire extinguishers and fire alarms due to the risk of fire.]

In a similar analog (will you call it poor also?) many are willing to deal with the fact that, yes, some guns will be stolen, yes, some high capacity weapons will be used in crimes. But it's better to retain old-school notions of the right to bear arms (the argument against gun bans in general), the capacity for self defense (the argument against further restrictions against conceal carry and/or a complete handgun ban), and the right to own military firearms (as I think was envisioned by the founding fathers "a well-regulated militia" statement, which would have meant access and knowledge and usage of military arms by the common man), than it is to remove them because of misuse.

 

[Corvette Owner]

I have one in the kitchen and one in the garage, as well as one in each car and the boat.

I actually have used two. One for a transmission fire in an old van ( Transmission malfunctioned and threw transmission fluid out the dipstick hole onto the exhaust. Noticed new chevy vans had a lock on transmission dip stick!) and the garage one to put out a neighbor's dishwasher fire.

I was a Boy Scout Leader, so I believe in the motto, Be Prepared !

 

[Mr_Incredible]

I have a halon extinguisher in the kitchen, an ABC in the garage, and a small ABC in the truck.

I used to be the fire systems trainer at my computer facility, and wrote (rewrote) the operating instruction (OI) as well. I was the facility manager of the 14,000 sq ft computer facility at Scott AFB.

During a smoke incident caused by a small door lock transformer sticking, one of the untrained persons was told to evacuate people in the area. He thought the quickest way to do that was to pull the fire alarm. He erroneously pulled the halon dump and dumped $16,000 worth of halon. I just happend to be down in the 6ft subfloor looking for the problem and right next to one of the bottles. That was exciting...

 

[opus1]

Yes, 2. One in the basement near the furnace, and one in the kitchen under the sink. I don't remember who gave me the tip, but I remember someone once telling me to have the kitchen extinguisher under the sink rather than by the stove because if something lights up on the stove, chances are the fire is going to be *between* you and the extinguisher, so it won't do you much good. By having it under the sink, you back away from the fire and can assess whether you should attack it or call 911, and if you decide to do the former, you can reach the extinguisher without harming yourself.

 

[ARB1977]

I have one under the sink and one in the garage.