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Lots of car fires happen at home. I don’t want to let it burn if my car catches on fire in the garage or in the driveway close to the house.
And I sure as hell don’t want to burn to death or watch someone burn to death if there is an accident where my or another car starts to burn before a fire truck gets there.
I’ve never witnessed someone burn to death in an accident, and I know that scenario is pretty far-fetched. But I have seen cars burn, I’ve seen a burning car set a house on fire and I’ve seen three or four grass fires started by cars that ran off the road or just parked in tall grass. Fires in and around cars are more common than most people think.
I bought Elements for all the cars (easy to store in the glove box). Bought some for the house as well. Already had multiples in the garage.
Haven't had to use one yet so I can't speak to effectiveness.
In the past I had a 65 Econoline that caught fire going down dirt washboard roads in Arizona multiple times ... The bouncing would upset the carb float and gas would expel onto the exhaust manifold. In the middle of no where it was nice to put out the fire knowing that with a quick rebuild and some wire refresh you could still get back to civilization.
So I just got into the habit of making sure an extinguisher is always close.
I'd be quick to use it for somebody else but with the 997 I'd have to debate based on where the fire was and how far it had progressed.
I carry one in my 914 and 928 as those older cars with older wiring are more likely to have a fire. I used a Rennline mount on the 997 passenger seat I have installed in the 928 and in the 914 it's in the frunk.
I have two fire extinguishers at home, but have never carried one in my cars. I agree with those commenters who stated they would not want their Porsche back after a fire.
The only thing you really need to carry is good insurance. The extinguishers must be serviced every few years and are just one more thing taking up space in a small area-and that includes the frunk.
As for extra items, you would probably make more use of a good first aid kit. That one I have used, more than once.
A fire extinguisher (car size) is only to get you, your passenger or some other unlucky driver out of the car. It buys you some time, but is unlikely to have enough agent to completely suppress a car fire or prevent the fire from reigniting. Like Iceter says, you never know when one can save the day. I used an extinguisher from the car at a neighbor’s when his riding lawn mower caught on fire. I have Elements in 3 cars, 2.5 lb in the 911; Element and 4 lb in garage. I’m also of the opinion if the 911 catches on fire, for basically any reason, it’s a goner.
I'm a Targa owner, and I'm a firefighter in a large city, and have been fighting fires of all types for just short of 37 years. I do carry a Halotron extinguisher in my car, on a Rennline mount, with a quick release pull strap for instant release from the mount.
I heartily agree with hatchetf15 regarding the use of an extinguisher - it buys a bit of time to afford some safety in assisting someone out of a burning car. One might be able to extinguish a burning accessory belt or some small wiring insulation fires as well, but anything larger and you leave it, get your family out of the car or house, and call 911.
Unfortunately, yes, it's tremendously frustrating to watch a fire spread while waiting for Fire Department arrival, but the bottom line is that you and your family are safe, and houses can, and are rebuilt every day.
A good rule of thumb is - if you START the fire ( say with a torch or some other device), attempt to extinguish it- however- if you DISCOVER a fire, take immediate steps for life safety, and call your local Fire Service.
Car fires spread quite quickly- all that plastic, rubber, and accelerant in fuel lines, brake lines, etc. Remember, during a fire those lines can fail at any moment, and you can find yourself impinged by heat or flame from an unexpected spot at any time.
Another point I want to make is lingering near a car on fire can be EXTREMELY dangerous, due to things like bumper pistons and hood struts becoming projectiles as they explode off the vehicle. Tires also rupture and make nice bangs. Also,pyrotechnic seatbelt pretensioners can be an issue in a car fire.
Here's a link to a short article that emphasizes some of those dangers - https://www.firehouse.com/home/artic...-vehicle-fires
The last point I need to emphasize is unforseen airbag deployment, even in an "innocent" situation.
You notice smoke coming from under your dash- let's say it's a wiring short. You grab your handy fire extinguisher and lean into the vehicle to put it out. However, what you may not realize is if the airbag deployment wires were the ones that were involved in the short- BOOM- the airbag deploys into the side of your head, which could injure you severely, and will definitely deafen you.
Also, getting technical, the flash point of sodium azide (the chemical that creates the nitrogen to inflate the bag), is around 350 degrees F, so if you're attempting to assist someone out of a car fire, please understand that unexpected airbag deployment could happen at any second, so if you remember, be careful leaning into a car to release a seat belt. Firefighters carry seat belt cutters on their bunker gear for this very reason, so they don't put themselves into the path of an undeployed airbag.
So, all in all, be aware in situations where you might be tempted to fight anything burning in a vehicle.
Happy to raise awareness- that's what I like about forums like this- we all get to contribute, and collectively we all win.
Just one quick fact- several posters mentioned dry-chemical extinguishers. I don't want to stray off topic, so this will be brief.
What can happen over time, especially in a dry chem extinguisher stored in the upright position, is that the powder- the extinguishing agent, can "cake" at the bottom, so when the unit is discharged during a fire, all you may get is a rush of pressurized nitrogen (which is the propellant), out of the nozzle.
To avoid this situation, you need to invert the unit, and tap the bottom with a rubber headed hammer to dislodge the agent, and then shake the unit side to side. Now the agent is loose enough to be expelled. In a vehicle there's enough shaking to avoid this situation, but if you have one in your garage or shop, it might be worth doing so you can depend on it being effective as a firefighting tool.
Lots of car fires happen at home. I don’t want to let it burn if my car catches on fire in the garage or in the driveway close to the house.
And I sure as hell don’t want to burn to death or watch someone burn to death if there is an accident where my or another car starts to burn before a fire truck gets there.
I’ve never witnessed someone burn to death in an accident, and I know that scenario is pretty far-fetched. But I have seen cars burn, I’ve seen a burning car set a house on fire and I’ve seen three or four grass fires started by cars that ran off the road or just parked in tall grass. Fires in and around cars are more common than most people think.
Have good point. But neighbor went into hoiuse, by time discovered garage on fire too late, house burned to ground.
Happy to raise awareness- that's what I like about forums like this- we all get to contribute, and collectively we all win.
Just one quick fact- several posters mentioned dry-chemical extinguishers. I don't want to stray off topic, so this will be brief.
What can happen over time, especially in a dry chem extinguisher stored in the upright position, is that the powder- the extinguishing agent, can "cake" at the bottom, so when the unit is discharged during a fire, all you may get is a rush of pressurized nitrogen (which is the propellant), out of the nozzle.
To avoid this situation, you need to invert the unit, and tap the bottom with a rubber headed hammer to dislodge the agent, and then shake the unit side to side. Now the agent is loose enough to be expelled. In a vehicle there's enough shaking to avoid this situation, but if you have one in your garage or shop, it might be worth doing so you can depend on it being effective as a firefighting tool.
What is your professional opinion of the element extinguishers as a firefighter? I just learned about them from reading this thread and they certainly seem like a nice space saving alternative to a traditional extinguisher and mount.
05-01-2020, 08:34 PM
