We have talked about where we should have our fire extinguisher strategically located so as to best be able to get to one in the event of a fire. We have it pretty well covered don't we? Not even close! Let me share a couple of examples.
One day while out on patrol I noticed a little smoke coming from the back area of a parked car. It was just a little smoke. Not enough to really raise the alarm. Oops! Next thing I know, the back half of the car is on fire. What I didn't take into account was that the back of the car was where the engine was in that model. The engine block was made of magnesium which is a metal that burns. When it burns it is white hot!!! In a matter of just a few seconds, the back half of the car was engulfed in flames and my little fire extinguisher wouldn't touch it. The fire department responded in just minutes, but this car was doomed to complete destruction. All the fire department could do was keep the fire contained at the car. The magnesium would not be put out and the fire departments efforts were just enough to contain the fire in place.
Had I hit the little fire with the extinguisher right off the bat, I might have saved the little Volkswagen. That is, if the fire was not already into the engine block. Otherwise, that car was doomed from the beginning. I have seen many car fires over the years and have seen some where little damage was done because a fire extinguisher was deployed in time. I have seen others where damage was less than could have been, because a fire extinguisher was available.
Vehicle fires happen fairly frequently. Have you ever been out on the highway and seen the vehicle shaped burn print on the side of the road? We all have. Many of you have been out on the highway and personally witnessed the fire department working on a vehicle that was smoldering. Just the other day I was out on the highway and saw a semi tractor on fire. Man, that was exciting! They had separated the tractor from the trailer and the tractor was almost fully engulfed in flames. That's a lot of flames.
Well no wonder! Motor vehicles have all the greatest combinations for creating a fire. If all the systems are not functioning as they should, well, there are a lot of things that will burn in a car or truck.
Think about it. You are carrying gasoline, oil, transmission fluid, plastic, rubber, fabrics, and in the case of some vehicles, magnesium and other highly flammable material. Compound that with the fact that you are purposely creating combustion, friction, and all in close quarters.
Many vehicle fires are caused by friction issues. If you have ever followed a loaded semi truck down a long steep mountain pass and seen smoke coming from under the truck, you have witnessed overheated brakes. Sometimes people overload small trailers or trucks and the tires rub. Fires can start this way.
Electronics fill our cars and trucks with all kinds of great gadgets that make our motoring a little easier and fun. However, sometimes electronics fail and wires can be worn through. Create a short in the system and you could end up with the beginnings of a fire.
So let's talk a little common sense here. What can you do with a fire extinguisher? A small fire on the tires? Yes. How about a small fire under the hood? Probably, but you have to remember that if there is a little fire starved for oxygen under a closed hood and you open it, well, you just created a big fire. I have in the past opened the hood just an inch or two and blasted the extinguisher through the small opening. Then opened the hood a little more and blasted again. I have put fires out under car hoods this way, but remember that you are feeding a small flame that wants oxygen. You give it lots of oxygen and it will flare up quick, almost explosively.
Just like the house fire videos I have shared with you, car fires can quickly get to the point where you just get back and let them burn until the professionals show up. To do otherwise puts you in danger of serious injury or worse. Here is a video of a mini van fire on the side of the road. It is fairly long but you can see how intense a car fire can get and what kind of force and effort it takes to put one of these monsters out. Also notice that car fires are not limited to older vehicles. This van is fairly new.
So how bad can it get? Here is a shorter video from San Francisco that will catch your attention. Remember how we mentioned all the different things that can burn in cars. Well watch how this fire spreads. It is through leaking fluid from one of the cars.
You Tube is full of really interesting videos of these fires and the explosions that can result. Look at them and tell me how many of these fires you think would be a great idea to get the fifteen or less feet you need to be to effectively use a fire extinguisher.
Fire extinguishers are great devices that can save property and sometimes lives. Always remember that property is replaceable. If you can safely approach a small fire with a fire extinguisher, by all means, put it out. Otherwise, get back!!! Yes, get an extinguisher for your cars and trucks. Especially your motor homes and trailers.
Motor homes, trailers, and boats are an interesting prospect. Not only do you have all the material for burning that a car would have, but you are going to purposely start fires in them. What am I talking about? Cooking, which also adds the component of hot grease over an open flame, and heating and cooling. Cooling and refrigeration are sometimes powered by open flame. I once had a camper trailer that you had to light a small pilot light, which heated the chemicals in the tubes to create the circulation in the tubes to work the refrigerator freezer. Then we went to sleep inside a small camper trailer full of combustibles attached to a tank full of propane. Whew!
How bad can the situation get in the event of a motor home / trailer/ boat fire? Not to bore you with You Tube video, but this one will answer the question. Note the propane tanks over pressure valve working to keep the tanks from blowing up. Yet, when they vented, they vented propane gas directly into the fire. Pretty dramatic! Not a time for a fire extinguisher.
When is the time for a fire extinguisher as it relates to vehicles? When the fire is relatively small and localized. If the fire has spread through the vehicle, it is time to get back and keep others back as well. Calling 911 is a must and can save lives. The earlier the fire is extinguished the better.
If the extinguisher won't handle it, you need the fire department. Remember from the videos how the fire spread. In the case of the San Francisco car fire, many cars became involved. That fire could have taken the whole city block! How about the motor home fire? Did you notice that even though the surroundings were completely green, they started to burn. Could have burned an entire forest! In my area (northern Utah) where it is much dryer in the hills during the summer, a large mountain wildfire would likely result.
So what do we do? First and foremost, we keep our vehicles well maintained. We don't just slap electronic devices into them without carefully following the manufacturer's instructions. Better yet, have them installed by professionals. We need to frequently inspect our vehicles to ensure that all systems are operating correctly and that electronic connections are clean and free from wearing through the insulation. It is always a good idea to have a cell phone with you. Remember the olden days when you ran to find a phone in a house or business when an emergency occurred? I do!
Yes get a good fire extinguisher for your vehicles! I recently saw an interesting add for a fire extinguisher for vehicles. It was not only a fire extinguisher, but had a special end to break glass in the event the electric windows would not work and the doors could not be opened. It also had a cutter to easily cut through seat belts to free trapped passengers. Look around and check your budget. There are a lot of great products available in hardware, auto supply, RV and boat supply stores.
HAPPY MOTORING and stay safe!
