Fire services tend to approximately 35,000 fires in the home every year. A large majority of them (44% or 10,500) are cooking related, generally attributed to cookers & ovens, rings & hot plates and grills & toasters. That makes the kitchen a very dangerous place, so it makes sense to keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen in case of small and contained fires.
As part of your home safety measures, having a fire extinguisher handy is an excellent idea, they can help save lives and protect your home – although they are only for small controllable fires, if it is a fire that is spreading you really do need to leave and get you and your family out of the house and call the fire brigade to deal with it.
Now I know what you are thinking. Who wants a big red fire extinguisher ruining the look of their kitchen and taking up space? Nobody does, so I am not talking about the fire extinguishers that you see around your workplace, shops and other buildings. You can get smaller compact versions that are perfect for the home or the car. Before you rush out and buy a fire extinguisher for your kitchen, please note that not all fire extinguishers are equal, they have different ratings for different types of fires so make sure you get one that suits your needs.
I have recently purchased a FlameFighter 500g Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher that is perfect for around the home and kitchen (except for use on deep fat fires), the car, caravans, boats etc. It only measures 29cm in length and is perfect for putting out small fires in an emergency. It is rated for Class A, B and C type fires as well as electrical fires:
- Class A is for solid materials such as wood, paper, plastics or textiles.
- Class B is for flammable or combustible liquid such as oil, petrol and paint.
- Class C is for flammable gas such as propane and butane.
Overall, a fire extinguisher is something that every home should home but hopefully never need to use. This 500g fire extinguisher is perfect for small spaces or just to be discreet in the kitchen or any other room and has multi-purpose application.
It is a metal bottle with a corrosion resistant finish in a deep red colour and comes with a plastic bracket so that you can mount it to the wall. Due to its size (6x29cm) and light weight (1kg) it is very easy to pick up and hold, and easy to hold in one hand. Using it is very easy, just pull out the red wedge on top, shake the bottle and pull the trigger, aiming it at the base of the fire. It has usage instructions and safety information printed on the bottle.
I like its compact size and lightweight. As it is for emergency use only on a small fire it has one use only so is the right size. It is not a rechargeable (refillable) bottle and if used it needs to be replaced. Like all fire extinguishers it does have a shelf life, if unused it can be kept for 3 years from date of manufacture, which is printed on the base of the bottle.
Its compact size means that it can be wall mounted in a place that is easily accessible whilst not being so conspicuous. It is also small enough that you could mount it on the inside of a cupboard door or even leave it in a quickly accessible drawer.
Every home should have a fire extinguisher for small fires. They can help property damage and saves lives, and just having one in the house gives you peace of mind. Never attempt to put out a bigger or spreading fire – in the case of bigger fires, get everybody out of the house and to a safe distance and call the fire brigade.
A good and solid compact fire extinguisher for small, controllable and containable fires within the home or car.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £15.99
Available to buy from Amazon here.