How To Extinguish Home Fires

In the event of a house fire, immediately take the following steps:

  1. Get everyone out of the home.
  2. Call the fire department form a neighbor’s house or your cellular phone.

Equip your home with a portable fire extinguisher. Portable fire extinguishers are useful for fighting small, contained fires. Extinguishers are classed by the type of fire they are intended to put out. If you have only one extinguisher, make sure it is a universal extinguisher and will put out all types of fires. If you have more than one extinguisher, store it where it will be effective against the type of fire likely to occur in that area. Make sure to learn how to use extinguishers before you need them. Here are some home fires you may come across and how you can extinguish them.

Kitchen Grease Fires: These fires typically result from cooking.

  • Small Grease / Oil Fire in a pan: Turn off the heat right away and cover the pan with a lid. DON’T pour water on a grease or oil fire because water will cause the fire to spread.
  • Oven Fire: Turn off the heat and let the fire burn itself out. DON’T open the door to the oven. This will let in more air and will feed the fire and causing it to maintain burning.

Chimney and Roof Fires: A chimney fire occurs when the soot and creosote deposits inside the flue ignite; resulting in a loud roaring noise and causing flames and sparks to discharge out of the chimney. A roof fire results from sparks traveling up the flue and igniting the roof. Most often, such a fire burns through the roof before it is discovered.

  • In the event of a chimney or roof fire make sure to get everyone out of the house immediately and call the fire department.

To prevent such fires, examine the following safety measures:

  • Keep your chimney or your stovepipe clean.
  • Do not burn huge amounts of newspaper or other paper products in your fireplace or wood stove.
  • Mount a sparks arrester on the top of your flue.