Fire Extinguisher Tips

  • Apr 29, 2008

Home Safety Council’s State of Home Safety in America report identifies fires and burns as the third leading cause of unintentional home injury related death. While portable household fire extinguishers are not designed or intended to fight a large or spreading fire, knowing how to properly operate one may prove vital in the event of a small fire.

If fire strikes, the Home Safety Council advises people to put their safety first, and belongings second. In many cases, the safest response is to evacuate the home and call the fire department. Under no circumstances should children be encouraged or taught to fight a home fire. With proper training, the right portable fire extinguisher can enable you to control a containable fire until the fire department arrives, helping protect your property. The Home Safety Council recommends the following guidelines if you plan to use a fire extinguisher at home:

Before the Fire

  • Select the most appropriate size and type of fire extinguisher(s) for your home
  • Choose the largest fire extinguisher you can physically handle.
  • Read all the directions. Know how to use an extinguisher. If possible, get training from your local fire department or workplace that will let you practice putting out a fire.
  • Keep the instructions so you can review them from time to time.
  • Mount the extinguisher near an exit door, out of reach of children.

Fighting a Small Fire

  • Make sure everyone else is leaving the home.
  • Ask someone to call the fire department from outside.

If the fire is still small and not spreading, quickly get your extinguisher. Start with your back to the exit, making sure the fire does not block your escape route. Stand 6 -8 feet away from the fire. Then, remember the word PASS:

  • Pull the pin out to unlock the operating lever.
  • Aim low: Point the extinguisher nozzle (or hose) at the base of the fire.
  • Squeeze the handle to release the extinguishing agent. Be prepared! It will come out with force.
  • Sweep from side to side, moving carefully toward the fire. Keep the extinguisher aimed at the base of the fire, sweeping back and forth until all the flames are out. Watch the fire area. If the fire re-ignites, repeat the process.

Important: If the fire does not go out quickly, or if you feel at risk in any way, leave immediately and let the fire department handle it. Fighting a fire can be dangerous. Only adults who know how and when to use an extinguisher should attempt to put out a fire. Children should not use fire extinguishers.

After a Fire

Even if you believe the fire is out, have the fire department inspect your home to look for hidden hot spots that could flare up later.

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.