
Originally Posted by
porkingporkpork
Very true about fires burning houses from the inside out. I plan on buying a couple of the small fire extinguishers and teaching my kids how to use them in about a year or so (they are still young). I figure we will do a bonfire and make s’mores cook hotdogs that type of thing, then when it comes time to put it out pull them out and let them extinguish the fire using extinguisher. I figure for the $25-$75 I will spend on “wasting” them, it teaches them a valuable life skill.
I agree that it is a valuable skill...
But most house fires are class A, and small extinguishers do a really poor job on Class-A fires. That experience is even more educational, I feel. BTW, small extinguishers don't do much on Class-B fires, either: A car on fire for example, will rarely benefit from a 10BC rated fire extinguisher. Such an extinguisher might allow getting passengers out alive.
For houses, a better solution (outside the kitchen and perhaps garage) is a 2 1/2 gallon pressurized water fire extinguisher like this: https://www.amazon.com/Amerex-Gallon...e+extinguisher
Filled with water, and charged with an air compressor, you can refill them yourself for essentially nothing, and they work well on Class-A fires (those that leave ash, i.e. wood, paper, natural fabrics). They can also be used on oil fires with a little technique. And, they are OFTEN available used for far less than the new cost.
Good medicine in bad places