Cleveland, OH – The Fire Extinguisher Manufacturers’ Association (FEMA) receives summaries of television stories about fire extinguishers saving lives and property through a video monitoring service. Here are just a few highlights – there are many more stories reported each day, as well as those cases that never reach the media.
These case studies demonstrate the effectiveness of fire extinguishers when used properly on a fire in the early stages.
KGAN News at Midday
KGAN-TV CH 2 (CBS) Cedar Rapids/Waterloo
8/06/2003 12:00 – 12:30 pm
An afternoon apartment fire in Marion sends one person to the hospital. Investigators say the fire at 11-65 ridge drive could have been much worse if not for a quick thinking neighbor with a fire extinguisher. The fire was kept to the bedroom of one unit. Dave lives in the basement of the apartment building. When he heard the cries for help he ran up the stairs, grabbed this breaker bar, shattered the glass, and grabbed the fire extinguisher.” Dave hustled upstairs to a top floor apartment.
CBS 4 News at 5:30
WFOR-TV CH 4 (CBS) Miami/Ft. Lauderdale
8/06/2003 5:30 – 6:00 pm
Shawn Smith also made sure the others sleeping made it out to safety. I saw them get out. The place was burning. It was a fig big fire. It was pretty hot. It was above the house. So Smith took it upon himself to put out the fire or at least contain it until firefighters arrived. We got a fire extinguisher. We started putting the fire out and I got the hose.
Storm Stories
Weather Channel National
8/06/2003 8:00 – 9:00 pm
“Danny popped the hatch again and looked down in there and the generator was on fire. The whole bulk head was in flames. So, it’s not bad enough that you are getting ready to get drowned now you know you are thinking of burning. Danny rushes in to fight the growing blaze with a fire extinguisher to take care of that situation. That was tough, breathing the fumes and wading in the water doing that. He battled the fire, and when he got back up on deck, he collapsed.”
KMBC 9 News at Five
KMBC-TV CH 9 (ABC) Kansas City
8/01/2003 5:00 – 6:00 am
A fire extinguisher saves a family and their home. A grease fire on the stove broke out just before 8:30 Thursday morning. Because there was an extinguisher in the kitchen, the blaze didn’t get out of control. There was a lot of smoke damage, but firefighters say it could have been a lot worse.
KING Five News at Noon
KING-TV CH 5 (NBC) Seattle/Tacoma
7/16/2003 12:00 – 1:00 pm
A Gig Harbor nursing home and childcare center caught fire today. Everyone got out safely. A Gig Harbor police officer spotted the flames and got everyone out. He grabbed fire extinguishers and helped put the fire out. The damage is estimated at $10,000.
