Fire Extinguisher & Fire Blanket

[MotorhomersRus]

Spent all morning looking for a suitable Fire Extinguisher and Fire Blanket.
Seems it’s a bit of a nightmare
Think I’m right in saying that a AFFF (cream along top) is the recommended one ?
Although most obvious places to look to buy one don’t seel them.
Any help or advice welcomed

 

[JFD]

We were advised that foam was the best all-round extinguisher for motorhoming, so bought a small (1 litre) one from:
https://www.firesafetystore.co.uk/
Came to some £25 including shipping and the chancellor’s cut!

They also do fire blankets and kits, although I have never seen the point of a fire blanket, unless you habitually have saucepans of boiling oil on the go!

 

[deleted-member02]

Wouldn't a bog standard dry powder extinguisher and fire blanket be sufficient? (all our vans have been supplied with these).
Screwfix have a wide range available.

AFFF should never be used on flammable gasses or cooking oils and are not recommended for electrical fires
- seems inappropriate for a motorhome?

 

[DavidG58]

They also do fire blankets and kits, although I have never seen the point of a fire blanket, unless you habitually have saucepans of boiling oil on the go!

An early part of my working life involved selling all forms of fire fighting equipment

Part of that involved practical training in their use, since then I have only ever allowed a fire blanket anywhere near our house or Motorhome

Water and foam must not be applied near electrics,

CO2 has enough force to move any burning object into the next room, fine if it goes out disaster if not

Deploying a powder extinguisher could write off a car or Motorhome due to the residual damage

I discussed this at length with our local fire brigade at an inspection at work, he said he totally agreed with me but was still told to say we needed a water extinguisher, they do at least make an excellent door stop

Get a blanket, use only if totally safe, just get out

 

[Zigisla]

Both mine are Dry Powder as it can be used on all fires. Larger one behind passenger seat for front end and engine fires and a smaller one by the hab door for back end and smaller fires, but I also carry a blanket and would use this if something catches on the grill top. Powder may well right off an engine bay or what ever, but so will the fire. I would rather clear up residue powder and stop the fire speading if possible.

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[Stealaway]

Have a look here -- https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-KG-POW...h=item1ec4488708:g:d3YAAOSw95FZZ0iV:rk:8:pf:0

 

[tacr2man]

These are the latest answer , gets over the problem of Dry powder compaction , and AFFF limitations .
https://www.safelincs.co.uk/3-litre-water-mist-fire-extinguisher-ultrafire/


or another option

 

[Theonlysue]

I bought these for the mh. No residue .
Videos on you tube.

 

[andy63]

Water and foam must not be applied near electrics,

There are water spray and afff extinguishers that have a rating that makes them suitable to use on the voltages you will find in normal use... and that has been the case for a good number of years david..
If i was asked for a recommendation for a good all round extinguisher for a motorhome it would be a water spray...or afff
Andy.
EAIaIQobChMIosq86Z7r4AIVqLvtCh24EgUTEAQYASABEgKpb_D_BwE

 

[andy63]

Ill try again with a link
https://www.safelincs.co.uk/3-litre-water-mist-fire-extinguisher-ultrafire/

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[two]

I bought these for the mh. No residue .
Videos on you tube.
View attachment 287935

I got one of those, too. Kept by the door but more for use to deter unwelcome visitors: squirt them in the face or belt them on the head with it.
If there was a fire, I'd get out rather than fight it. No blanket and not aware of the need, insurance-wise, for either. (It's different on boats.)

 

[DavidG58]

You are right Andy, must remind myself my last training was 40 years ago, although not a lot has changed in manufacturing or advice

But the mist option looks good and will do a lot less damage and will not have the same force as water or CO2, there really should be courses in using extinguishers, most folk never will and may struggle to use if never shown

 

[Conal]

A little off topic but when I ran a leisure centre in Manchester our lift control room had smoke coming out of the air vents. We called the fire brigade and I went off to get the key. By the time I returned a few minutes later they had chopped the door to bits with a couple of axes and put out the electrical fire with water fire extinguishers. I had previously received training and questioned this. All I got back was “it did the job didn’t it”. Thousands of pounds later we had a rewired and repaired lift room and a new door. I wasn’t impressed.

 

[andy63]

although not a lot has changed in manufacturing or advice

On the advice front im not sure an operational fireman is best qualified to give advice on portable extinguishers...
Unless hes done a spell in training or a department that may have cause to use them and train the public in their use..
In all my years on the trucks we seldom had cause to resotr to using any portable extinguishers...
I got my experience in the merchant navy fire training side of things...and most of the demonstrations basically highlighted the limited use of such equipment in the real world use.
The good thing about water spray or afff as opposed to powder and co2 etc is the cooling effect it has , lowering the chance of re ignition if you can knock the fire down...
Andy..

 

[tacr2man]

Fire extinguishers are rated according to what they should be able to deal with if used in the correct manner
For example the fire tool JE50 is rated 5F which is a deep fat fire containing 5 ltrs the water mist 3 ltr is 25F !! .
This gives you a larger inexperience allowance , but in all scenarios , you should only think of combating a fire if confident , and with a clear exit path , and whilst it is still very small , and atmosphere is clear . Fires in caravans and motorhomes can develop very fast , and the risks of toxic fumes increase the smaller the enclosure . Smoke kills more people than fire !

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[andy63]

Fire extinguishers are rated according to what they should be able to deal with if used in the correct manner
For example the fire tool JE50 is rated 5F which is a deep fat fire containing 5 ltrs the water mist 3 ltr is 25F !!

figures like that are meaningless to me... the critical thing is not necessarily the quantity ...ie 5litres of the fuel , but the surface area ... then there's the pre burn time which will effect the ability of any portable device to deal with i a fire , given its limited capacity, especially on a liquid fire and the depth of the hot layer having a bearing on the ability to re ignite..
another important point that often goes unmentioned... even if folk have had some training in the use of portable devices its usually well staged and managed... the user well protected in the gear they have had to wear...
that is just not likely to be the case in the real world where someone has to use a portable extinguisher... making it less effective than they thought , even with their training..
Andy

 

[tacr2man]

figures like that are meaningless to me... the critical thing is not necessarily the quantity ...ie 5litres of the fuel , but the surface area ... then there's the pre burn time which will effect the ability of any portable device to deal with i a fire , given its limited capacity, especially on a liquid fire and the depth of the hot layer having a bearing on the ability to re ignite..
another important point that often goes unmentioned... even if folk have had some training in the use of portable devices its usually well staged and managed... the user well protected in the gear they have had to wear...
that is just not likely to be the case in the real world where someone has to use a portable extinguisher... making it less effective than they thought , even with their training..
Andy

Agree just trying to make it "Alexander Orlov" level

 

[gus-lopez]

Deploying a powder extinguisher could write off a car or Motorhome due to the residual damage

Yes it does take some cleaning up

 

[MotorhomersRus]

Many thanks for all your info.
Seems it’s a difficult decision and one that shouldn’t be.
This is the info which prompted me to write the post.

..........Fires are extremely rare in caravans and motorhomes, but in the event of a fire emergency, it’s critical to know exactly what to do.

The first rule of fire safety in a caravan or motorhome is simple: in the event of a fire, the first thing to do is to get everyone out as quickly as possible. Only after everyone is safely outside the caravan should you worry about tackling the fire and saving your possessions.

A fire extinguisher should be regarded as standard caravan safety equipment but it’s important that you carry the right type and it is positioned correctly in your caravan or motorhome. You should also know how to use it effectively.

Your fire extinguisher should be manufactured in accordance with BS (EN)3 and tested and approved by the British Standards Institute (BSI) or the Loss Prevention Council Certificate Board (LPCB) or approved by the British Approvals for Fire Equipment (BAFE).

A list of approved extinguisher manufacturers is available from British Approvals Fire Equipment at www.bafe.org.uk.

BS (EN)3 recommends that extinguishers should be coloured entirely signal RED although a different colour-coded area (indicator) on the body may be used so that you can, at a glance, determine the contents, as follows:

Signal red = water
Pale cream = foam
French blue = powder
Carbon dioxide = black

The British Standard Code of Practice for the selection and installation of fire extinguishers is classified according to the alphabet. E.g. A=Water = Organic material, such as wood, B= Flammable Liquids = petrol and diesel etc.

Fire risks are classified according to the alphabet:

Class A Involve most organic materials. Such as carbon, wood, textiles and paper
Class B Petrol, diesel, solvents, paints and other flammable liquids
Class C Butane and propane, flammable gases
Class D Flammable metals
Class F Cooking oils and fats
Although dry powder fire extinguishers are very effective in extinguishing all fires, they are not recommended for use in confined spaces such as caravans. We recommend that AFFF is the most effective for use on a caravan site.

It is important that your extinguisher is checked at regular intervals in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions – although replacement is generally an easier and more economic option. The Club’s health and safety officer suggests a typical life expectancy for a caravan extinguisher of 3-5 years. Never use an extinguisher that has been discharged – even partially.

The extinguisher should be located in a dedicated bracket near the door but not too close to cooking appliances, where flames could make it unreachable.

Don’t attempt to use a fire extinguisher on a frying pan fire. Fire blankets are a more effective option for cooking oil/fat fires. Check they conform to BSEN 1869 and look for approval by LPC or BAFE............

...........All Fire Extinguishers in Caravan/Motorhome shops are Dry Powder..........