You NEED a fire extinguisher in your garage!

[benhogan]

I was working a riding mower with a no start problem this past weekend. the combustion chamber was flooded so I removed the spark plug. I was going to pull the rope to blast out the fuel out of the spark plug hole.

This is apparently a no no. The gas was ignited by the spark plug wire. The thing looked like a flame thrower.

Luckily, I had fire extinguisher closeby to kill the fire. This $40 device saved my house!

Everyone should have one in every garage and kitchen.

It scared the living $hit out of me.

[BobK]

Got a big one hanging on the wall in the garage. Hope ya still have your eyebrows, glad ya still have the house.

[iwrock]

Also adding this: If you do have a fire extinguisher, make sure it has a proper charge and rating!

[TwitchKitty]

Everyone needs to know how to use a fire extinguisher also. Most don't and are just lucky to put out a fire with one.

[Air&Road]

Yes, I've watched a fire flame up several times in my life and it does INDEED scare the crap out of you.

[E150GT]

I have one at home but I've been needing to put one in each car. I dont worry about the mazda as much as I do the SD..

[t walgamuth]

I used to have a 59 Ferrari 250 GT. At the time of this incident I had a partner in the ownership of it. I was working on the car he was supplying the money for parts. I had gone through the three carburators at least three times or so. One day I went to start it up and so turned on the electric fuel pump and waited for it to pump the carbs full. After a while I gave the starter a whirl and it just turned a bit and stopped abruptly.

I decided a float on one of the carbs had stuck and the fuel had filled a cylinder making a hydrolock preventing the engine from turning over.

So I figured out which cylinder it was and pulled the spark plug and went to turn it over to pump the gas into a rag. On a 59 250 GT it is called an INside plug engine because the plugs are inside the 60 degree v12 under the carburators.

I neglected one step in the process unfortunately....disconnecting the coil.

So I cranked the starter and the cylinder pushed the gas out and into the rag and the coil fired the spark plug wire lying there and the gas in the rag ignited. yikes!

The flames reached nearly the garage ceiling. Not only was the car and engine in jeaprody I only owned half of it all. So I grabbed a big rag and tried to smother the flames. Soon it flared right back up....I smothered it again and it flared right back up....finally I realized my rag full of gas was the source of the flames and grabbed it and tossed it over my shoulder.

I immediately began to study the Ferrari engine to see what might have been damaged....not too bad.....suddenly I heard a crackle behind me and turned around to see my rag igniting stuff along the wall of my garage!!!!

So I ran over there and stomped it out.

After checking to be sure nothing on the Ferrari was flaming and my garage was out I realized my heart rate was way up.

So I went into the house and relaxed and had a cup of coffee to reflect on the whole situation.

I discovered about a year later one of the throats of the weber carb had partially melted so I ordered a new one.

I have a whole new respect for what can happen with too casual an attitude around gasoline and sparks.

[Crazy_Nate]

<3 Diesel

But I still keep one in the car, and one in the kitchen (no garage!).

They're cheap...seriously. I'm sure a local fire department would do demonstrations on how to use 'em. I've done two.

[p7fan]

Everyone needs a couple of decent sized ones in the shop and home. They need to be inspected every 3 months for state of charge and all need to know proper usage.

Funny story (funny now)......

My wife only cooks me breakfast on Sunday mornings prior to church. i awoke on a Sun. am to the scream of FIRE!! Yep, the damn stove is on fire. The little "bottle" i kept next to the kitchen was in my shop because i had fired off my GTO the night before. So a 1/2 asleep naked man (me) is trying to smother the fire/stove/breakfast, flames hitting the ceiling with a damn blanket. Finally get it smothered, when the wife throws a five pound bag of baking soda on me! Now I'm covered in white s@#t powder! Took everybody to IHOP.

Couple of days later, the fire extenguisher guy comes to the dealership (I'm svc. mgr.). I sign off on the order and purchase 3 good sized ones for me. Two for the house, one for the shop. Thankfully i have never had a need for them. Their like my handgun's though; charged and ready...........

[Palangi]

Thanks for the good safety reminder.

We have one in the kitchen and one in the garage.

I just looked at the tags, and, sure enough, one of them is expired.

I will replace it this week.

[Emmerich]

Originally Posted by p7fan

Thankfully i have never had a need for them. Their like my handgun's though; charged and ready...........

If you outlaw extinguishers, only outlaws will have extinguishers.