WSVN — Do you have a fire extinguisher in your house? If a fire broke out, would you really know how to use it? Well, we put people to the test and the results might surprise you. 7’s Craig Stevens takes us into the fire.
We all hope this never happens to us. Many of us buy fire extinguishers… just in case.
Diego Garcia: "I have two actually. I have one right next to the kitchen and I have one on the second floor of my house."
But if a fire broke out, would you know how use it?
7News along with Miami Fire Rescue put some homeowners to the test.
Diego finally put out the flames, but in a real emergency, he would have been too late.
Maria Rosen, City of Miami Fire Rescue: "In one minute, it would triple it’s size."
And you need to react quickly.
Antonio Allen, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue: "They hear about it, they see it but they’re not properly prepared themselves because they think it will never happen to them."
Fire extinguishers come in all shapes and sizes, so make sure you understand how yours works. The most common mistake people make is not pulling the pin!
Yoneris: "There’s a little pin that I didn’t pull out."
Calvin: "Some people couldn’t get it started … other people were aiming wrong."
And you have to know where you keep it in the house.
Peter Shull, Life Safety Fire Management: "If you don’t know where it is in the event of a fire, then it’s not going to be of very much use."
Sticking it under the sink is a bad idea.
Peter Shull: "The last thing you want to do is take all the chemicals and all the other things you store underneath the sink to get to the fire extinguisher."
Fires don’t just happen in the kitchen. Many start in the garage or laundry room, so make sure your entire home is covered.
Antonio Allen: "One in the garage, one in the kitchen and also one in the bedroom."
And when it gets too hot… get out!
Maria Rosen: "We don’t want people putting their lives at risk trying to fight a fire that might be out of hand. If it’s too big, we just want you to get out safely."
A few minutes of preparation and practice now can buy you precious seconds if you’re ever forced into the fire.
Calvin: "It’s not enough to just have to have a fire extinguisher, you have to know how to use it."
There are four steps to using an extinguisher… think of the word "pass." Pull the pin, aim at the base of the fire, squeeze the handle and sweep side to side.
FOR MORE INFO:
City of Miami Fire Rescue:
http://www.miamigov.com/Fire/pages/default.asp
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue:
http://www.miamidade.gov/fire/
Life Safety Management:
http://www.lifesafetymanagement.com/