I read your article on fire extinguishers (June '08 ) and am glad that someone else realizes the importance of them. I am a firefighter/paramedic and carry one in my truck. I thought I might add a bit though. First off, dry-chemical extinguishers can be deadly to newer-model vehicles. The powder is able to get into electronics and computers and insulate them or just destroy them. I know in a fire that's the least of your worries though.
One option that I have used in the past is just a simple water-can fire extinguisher. They are simple to recharge, as you can do it in your garage. All you have to do is add between 1 and 5 gallons of water, screw on the top, and pressurize it with an air hose to normally 30 psi. You can even recharge them on the trail if you need to. They will not work too well on flammable liquids fire though with just water. As an option, you can easily convert it to a foam extinguisher. All this will require is adding foam concentrate to the water, or even dishwashing soap will help. You may be able to get your hands on a small amount of foam, like Class A, Class B, or AFFF (aqueous film forming foam) at your local fire station or airport fire station. The catch will be instead of hitting the fire directly at the base of the fire, you need to bank the water off the ground, hood, or any other available surface to get the water to foam more, especially with dishwashing liquid like Dawn. Well, that's my 2 cents on making everyone safer. And be sure to carry a stocked first aid kit just in case of the worst.
George Pazaropoulos
Pickerington, OH
Good point. Everyone should have some type of fire extinguisher in their rig and know how to use it.
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