Do you know the most important rooms to keep your fire extinguisher?
You know that fire extinguishers are essential on every floor in the home and workplace, but are you aware of the best rooms to keep them? While having a fire extinguisher is vital, that’s only one step of being prepared for a fire emergency. To truly keep your home and office safe, you must keep your extinguishers maintained and up-to-date on inspections, and keep them in the correct rooms that are at the highest risk of a fire.
The Kitchen
The most important room to store a fire extinguisher in is the kitchen, as 65 percent of all fires start in the kitchen. This is especially important when considering the fact that most kitchen fires involve grease, and grease fires burn extremely hot and can’t be put out with water. Do not keep the extinguisher near the stove, as the last thing you want is for flames to reach your fire prevention equipment. The extinguisher should be about 30 feet from a stove- meaning it can be kept in the next room over for small kitchens, as long as you have easy access.
Not all fire extinguishers are made the same, so be sure you have a Class K extinguisher in the kitchen. This extinguisher is used for fighting cooking fires and is designed to put out fires caused by vegetable oils and animals fats.
Laundry Room
Another common room for a house fire to start is the laundry room, specifically the dryer machine. The lint in your dryer is very flammable and can catch on fire due to the high temperatures of the machine. To reduce the chance of a dryer fire, be sure to clean the lint trap after every load. Also, the dryer exhaust tube could fill with lint, which should be cleaned out every six months. But as we know, fire extinguishers are the best tools for fire prevention, so make sure you also have an extinguisher nearby in case of emergency.
Sources Of Heat And Electricity
In the home, a fire extinguisher should be kept near potential fire hazards, including fireplaces and furnaces. In the office, any areas with electrical panels and multiple appliances should have a fire extinguisher nearby. Electrical fires are common in offices that use a lot of electricity, especially when there is a combination of electric circuits and hot appliances in the same room.
Fire Prevention and Protection Services from Fireline
Whether you need smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, or an automatic sprinkler system installed at your rental property, Fireline has you covered. We have been protecting people and properties from fire damage since 1947—and our experience shows in our excellent work! We are known for our wonderful customer service, our expertise, and our reliability. For more information on how we can help your residential or commercial property, visit us online or give us a call at (800) 553-3405. For more fire safety tips, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.