Smoke detectors and fire extinguishers

[pickett235]

The alarm system woke us up about two hours ago. I grabbed my pistol from the night stand and started checking the house. Opened the door to the garage to discover the trash can and everything around it on fire. Grabbed the fire extinguisher from under the kitchen sink and got the fire knocked down. Used a second extinguisher from the garage to put the fire out. Other than the stench of all that was burning and some smoke damage the house is fine. The alarm system woke us up and alerted the monitoring company. The fire extinguishers kept the damage from being worse than it could have been.

If you don't have smoke detectors, get them today. Even better get a security system installed. The minimal cost of our security system possibly saved our lives and our house. Most of us have spent way more on guns to protect our families than the system cost.

If you don't have fire extinguishers, get them today. If you have never used a fire extinguisher get an extra one to shoot and learn what will happen when you squeeze the handle. I used two five pound extinguishers to put the fire out.

Does anyone have any tips on getting the smoke smell out of the house? I am so wired that I will be up all night.

 

[Okie4570]

Glad your're ok!! And prepared. Lot's of ventilation for the smoke and smell. Scrubbing everything in the room that was on fire will help as well. What was in the trash can?

 

[sleeperx4]

Wow! That'll get the blood flowing. Glad your ok. Any idea how it started?

 

[adluginb]

Any idea how it started?

 

[Bootleggn]

Anything related to fire protection, I've got it in stock or can get it quick.

 

[waltham41]

Very glad to hear that you are safe and got the fire out in time. One of my biggest fears is a fire in my mobile home.

 

[pickett235]

I had a propane heater in the garage that I have used for years. It is hard to tell if the heater malfunctioned and caused the fire or if the contents of the metal trash can several feet away ignighted. The heater and the trash can have been in the same place for years. They were both fully involved when I found them. All considering the damage is not too bad considering all of the tools and toys in the garage. If I had waited for the fire department the garage would have been fully involved by the time they could get here.
I have already replaced the fire extinguishers with 10 pound units instead of 5 pound. If we had just had a smoke detector in the garage I don't think we would have herd it in our bedroom. The detector tied into the security system woke us and two neibors up.

Camco Alarms installed and monitors the system that at a minimum saved extensive damage to the house. they were calling the house repeatedly while I was putting the fire out.

While I was putting the fire out my wife was hunkered down with the kids thinking that I was struggling with an intruder. She did not know it was a fire at that point. We both thought that someone was breaking in. It never occurred to me that it could be a fire. Looking back the alarm had a different cadence that the burgler alarm.

 

[RyanSixer]

Good to hear you're safe.

 

[Fyrtwuck]

You just learned that you should always have TWO fire extinguishers, regardless of the size. Always have an extra one as a back up in case the first one doesn't work. I've inspected many businesses that had extinguishers that were useless hanging on the walls. Check them on a regular basis.

You might also check with your monitoring company to see if they automatically call the FD or PD when the alarms are activated.

Glad to hear that everything turned out OK.

 

[KenL]

Anything related to fire protection, I've got it in stock or can get it quick.

Do you have a website?