When using a fire blanket, your primary goal is to safely and effectively smother a small fire by cutting off its oxygen supply. This involves protecting your hands, calmly approaching the fire, and ensuring complete coverage.
A fire blanket is an essential safety device particularly effective for small, contained fires, such as cooking oil or grease fires on a stove. Understanding the correct procedure is crucial for both your safety and successful fire suppression.
Using a Fire Blanket: A Step-by-Step Guide
Effectively deploying a fire blanket requires calm, quick action, and adherence to a specific sequence to ensure the fire is extinguished safely.
1. Assess the Fire
Before attempting to use a fire blanket, quickly assess the situation:
- Size: Ensure the fire is small and contained, like a pan fire. If the fire is large, spreading rapidly, or you feel unsafe, evacuate immediately and call emergency services (e.g., call 911 in the US).
- Type: Fire blankets are ideal for grease or cooking oil fires. For electrical fires, always cut off the power source first if safe to do so.
2. Prepare for Deployment
- Retrieve the blanket: Hold the tabs towards yourself to quickly pull the blanket from its casing.
- Protect your hands: Protect your hands by wrapping the top edges of the blanket around them, creating a shield from potential flames and heat. This also helps you maintain a firm grip.
3. Approach the Fire Safely
- Walk slowly towards the fire: Maintain a calm demeanor and walk slowly towards the fire. Rushing can lead to missteps or an incorrect deployment, potentially worsening the situation.
- Extend your arms: Stretch out your arms in front of you, holding the blanket widely. This provides maximum coverage and helps to keep your body further from the flames.
4. Smother the Flames
- Place the blanket: As the blanket touches the top of the stove, place it over the fire. Start from the edge nearest to you and move towards the furthest edge, effectively pushing the flames away from your body.
- Ensure complete coverage: Make sure the blanket entirely covers the fire source, creating an airtight seal to deprive the fire of oxygen.
5. Post-Extinguishment Actions
- Leave the blanket in place: Leave the blanket over the pot for at least thirty minutes. This critical step allows the fire to cool down completely, preventing any chance of re-ignition. Do not be tempted to remove it prematurely, even if the flames appear to be out.
- Turn off the heat source: If it is safe to do so, turn off the heat source immediately after covering the fire.
- Ventilate: Once the thirty minutes have passed and the area has cooled, carefully remove the blanket and ventilate the space.
Fire Blanket Usage Summary
| Action | Key Detail | Why It's Important |
|---|---|---|
| Prepare Safely | Hold tabs towards you, protect hands with blanket. | Shields from heat and flames, ensures secure grip. |
| Approach Calmly | Walk slowly, extend arms, hold blanket wide. | Prevents panic, allows for precise placement, keeps distance. |
| Cover Completely | Place over fire, nearest edge first, seal off oxygen. | Instantly smothers fire, prevents spreading. |
| Allow to Cool | Leave for at least 30 minutes. | Ensures complete extinguishment, prevents re-ignition. |
| Turn Off Heat | If safe, immediately turn off source. | Removes fuel supply, crucial for safety. |
Important Fire Safety Tips
- Never Use Water on Grease Fires: Applying water to a grease fire can cause it to spread rapidly and dangerously.
- Know Your Exits: Always have a clear escape route and practice your home fire safety plan.
- Replace After Use: A fire blanket should typically be replaced after being used, as its fire-retardant properties may be compromised.
- Regular Checks: Inspect your fire blanket regularly to ensure it is easily accessible and in good condition.
When Not to Use a Fire Blanket
While effective, fire blankets are not suitable for every fire. Do not use a fire blanket for:
- Large or Uncontained Fires: If a fire has grown beyond a small, manageable area, evacuate and call emergency services.
- Deep Fat Fryer Fires: While it can smother, the fire could be deep below the surface, making blankets less effective. A wet chemical extinguisher might be more appropriate, or simply evacuate.
- Certain Flammable Liquid Fires: For fires involving highly volatile chemicals or large quantities of flammable liquids (other than cooking oil), the blanket might not contain the blaze effectively.
By following these guidelines, you can ensure that you are prepared to respond effectively and safely should a small fire occur.
