No fire extinguisher in your home? Buy one.

Get one for your kitchen.
Get one for your garage.
Get one for near your bedrooms.
Get one for your car (make sure you secure it!).
Get one to possibly save your life.
Get one.

It only costs about $25.

Contact your local Fire Prevention office of your local Fire Department for training opportunities.

Remember that dry chemical extinguishers (the most common consumer type) are harsh on electronics. If you let one loose in your family room to put out that flaming wastebasket, figure on possibly destroying your (previously uninvolved) bigscreen TV, stereo and computer with the powder that will go everywhere. Know the different types, what kind of fires they can be used on, and choose the type most appropriate for the location where you'll have it. Consider whether the extinguisher will put out the type of fire you're likely to encounter with it, and also if it will damage other things while putting out that fire. Unless you go to a specialty store, probably 95% of what you'll find in big-box stores is dry chemical. Which is OK most of the time. But you may want to look at CO2 or H20 extinguishers too if appropriate for your situation (they're more expensive though).

While I completely agree that you should have appropriate fire extinguishers in your home, with the Kitchen and Garage a priority it is important to note that home sized fire extinguishers have limited fire fighting capabilities.

Fire extinguishers are specifically designed for incipient stage fires, or fires in the very early stages. Fires in the kitchen and garage can often be controlled by a fire extinguisher (used properly) because people are often present when the fire starts and a extinguisher can be employed early in the fires development. A fire that is not extinguished with a single extinguisher is too big for extinguishers alone and more then likely to they point where you need firefighter's protective clothing to fight it safely... GET OUT and CALL 911! No property is worth a life.

Having an extinguisher near your bedroom isn't a bad idea... leaving the room for anywhere but OUTSIDE if you awake at night to find a fire in your home is not a good idea. Usually, waking to find smoke in the middle of the night means that the fire has been working for a little bit and an extinguisher is going to do little to no good. More important is getting OUT, calling 911 (this is why your cellphone should be next to your bed) and accounting for the others in your home. If your bedrooms aren't close enough together to wake your family and get them out without wondering through a smoke filled home... get out and go to their bedroom from the outside.

I personally keep extinguishers in various locations in my home. First I keep a 20lbs (20A, 120B-C) dry chemical extinguisher in my garage along with a 2-1/2 gallon pressurized water extinguisher (PW can). In my kitchen I keep a 10lbs (10A, 60B-C) dry chemical along with a 5lbs CO2 extinguisher. In my office I keep another 5lbs CO2 extinguisher. Finally I have a 20lbs dry chemical extinguisher on my back patio.

Remember fire extinguishers should be replaced (if they are not the serviceable kind) before they expire. Serviceable extinguishes need to be checked by a certified servicing company annually. All extinguished should be checked about monthly.

Fire extinguishers are only one line of defense against fires in the home. Obviously, safety and common sense are the first line but you should also have multiple smoke detectors in the home... perferably linked (one goes off they all do). Sprinklers are even better! But, since even being safe and using common sense doesn't always prevent fires you should always have a escape plan and rally point... and remember once you are outside STAY OUT!

Edited to add: once a waste basket (sofa, mattress, etc) is extinguished and you can carry it safely... get it out.

It is not a bad idea for the FD to come check fires you extinguished when the fire has discolored or blackened walls, cabinets, etc. I have been on more then one fire that had extended into the cabinets or wall after a "small" fire was extinguished earlier in the day... more then once the fire was noticed only smoke was pouring out of the attic. It is an easy job to check for extension using a Thermal Imaging Camera and experience.

when my Dad built our home back in the 50's he had the plumbers run a water line to the second floor and put in a tap and hose.he felt the best way to knock down a fire was with lots of water..i keep a hose by the wash tubs in the basement and the tap will attach to it..and yes i know about grease and electric fires and we have a dry extingusher for those..

Sounds like a bad idea. If you need loads of water to take out a fire, you need protective gear. It's not just the fire, it's the smoke that kills you. A house is replaceable, a person not. Fire's van spread rapidly, so when it isn't just a small fire, het the heck out of there and call the FD.

Also, next to fingerprint powder, the powder from a dry extinguisher is just about the hardest stuff in the world to clean up...

With that in mind, it's a good idea not to stage a dry chemical extinguisher for kitchen / food prep use. You're probably not going to want to eat anything contaminated with that stuff.

My recent reading and post about electrical wiring and electrical fires bears this out. Fires that happen in the middle of the night are rarely going to be related to cooking or working in the garage. Those fires will probably be electrical fires and unfortunately, it seems that statistically, the bedroom is a prime spot for electrical fires.

If the fire is in the fixed wiring, behind the wall, that's really the dangerous one because you may not see much of any fire or smoke until it has spread inside the walls well beyond anything manageable and may cut you off from your primary escape route through the bedroom door, so don't dilly-dally if you awake to smoke. Get out!

I just got a couple Fireade2000 extinguishers delivered (they seem to be on backorder everywhere and took a while to come). Not cheap. One is for the car. I'm more and more intrigued by the newer generation of...not sure what to call them--wetting/foaming extinguishers. Brands like Fireade2000, Coldfire, and Flame Out. They work on class ABDK fires. Actually, I believe foaming (although probably not the same chemicals as these brands) extinguishers are apparently common in Europe, from what I've read.

These Fireade2000 extinguishers are small, but I don't have any illusions of putting out a car fire with one. Life and health first--use it to knock down flames, if necessary, until you can get everyone clear of the car wreck and then let the fire department do its work. Any fire in the engine bay or that starts to burn the synthetic materials inside the passenger compartment, I don't think I'd really want to keep the car after that anyway so to me, there is no sense risking myself trying to put one out in most cases if everyone is safe. I'm just going to keep clear of the fire and that toxic smoke.

I can tell you having a dry chem, ext. go off in my Yukon was not something I want to have happen again, ever.

PC2K--i see by your gear you know what your talking about..
Dad was really--really old school..depression--WW2--he would have used a wet blanket to save his house rather than run away..

Each month, especially for cars, they should be turned and shaken
gently as settling occurs and you could end up with the same effect
as when you try to use spray paint without shaking enough- only
the propellant comes out.

Got one in the house, don't have one in the garage. Which I should get...

Question - what about freesing temps? MN garage, detached from the house.

Is it okay to leave the extinguisher in freezing temps?

Like a smoke detector, an extinguisher is a quick, easy way to be prepared.
( while you're at get a co2 detector too)

Excellent advice Alan, thanks. You've convinced me I need another extinguisher in my bedroom. I have a question on serviceable extinguishers, are they alot more expensive than replaceable extinguishers you might buy at Home Depot? Or is the advantage their larger size and ABC fire mixes?

I buy one smoke detector and one replaceable fire extinguisher each year, and rotate them out on expiration (I think its ~5-7 years for smoke detectors). One extinguisher in the kitchen, one in the garage, one in each car (3). All our detectors are linked, all I need to do is replace backup batteries at daylight savings time and pull down one detector, put up another.

Rotating out the extinguishers has the added benefit, once a year we have a family PASS test in the backyard, putting out a small gas fuel fire in a washbin. We have all done it a few times now so its no mystery, but I want the opportunity to drill into my teenager's head that I would much rather he GOT OUT and CALLED 911 than successfully put down any fire. We're only 4-5 minutes from local fire response here.

One time I was checking the gear on an ambulance parked in a small, closed garage. Someone had left the fire extinguisher laying on its side behind a gear bag, and the pin had fallen out (or was it sabotage...?!). I slid that bag around and it somehow engaged the extinguisher handle.

White powder was everywhere in about 1.2 seconds. It looked like a scene from "Scarface", but without the M16.

I believe they are primarily designed to give you an avenue of escape in a serious fire emergency. It takes a 5lb fire extinguisher about 18 sec to completely discharge and the distance and volume diminishes rapidly so you have to approach the fire while sweeping and you have realistically between 7 and 14 sec to provide an avenue of escape and bug out that way.

They are like pepper spray, you have to take the extinguisher and invert it (shake it) five times every month and reread the pressure gauge not only just to see if the needle is still in the green zone but also if it has moved at all. You may also check the hose for obstruction, check the tag to make sure that the extinguisher has been checked last month and up to date, and the mount to make sure that it's properly fastened. And they may work badly outside in windy conditions (like pepper spray).

When you pull the pin make sure you don't squeeze at the same time (just hold the bottle by the lower handle) there are many documented cases of people being killed in a fire found with a charged fire extinguisher in their hands with the handle squeezed completely together and the pin still in place because they were trying to pull the pin while squeezing on the handle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G0a-MLneRs
(my post is almost a transcript of that video)

Does anyone have experience disposing of the non-serviceable kind? I keep meaning to call the local waste removal folks to find out, given that it is a pressurized canister.

Make that a CO detector

A question for you experienced fire service people here:

Would it be considered reasonable, or stupid, to buy a used 2-1/2 gallon water fire extinguisher off of eBay? I see tons of them listed there, much much cheaper than buying a new one. I assume these things have pressure seals that wear out inside them - can the extinguishers be rebuilt inexpensively if needed? What brands are good to look for or to avoid?

Thanks!

But Alan, a CO2 detector is twice as good as a CO detector!

Izzy: great work!

Ask at your local fire station, ours takes the non-serviceable kind and puts them to work doing PASS demonstrations. Not sure what they do with them afterwards, but they accept them.

a couple of years ago (gad it's that long already?) a friend in the fire protection business looked at me and said "want some fire extinguishers?" It seems at one of his sites, someone had magic markered on 3 units, and because of this, they either needed a repaint, or replace to pass in a commercial building - so I got 3 nice 20 lb units - one of which I gave away

Lets see - 1 5lb in the kitchen, a 20lb upstairs - hall closet next to steps, one 1st floor, next to fireplace, but closer to the door, 2 units down the basement (a dry powder and a CO2), and a pair in the garage - I guess I'm well covered - or at least better than MOST, although not quite as crazy as my friend upstate - he had a hydrant put in, and had a pumper (used) in the garage - of course he had been the local chief, and he and his son had more than a clue how to use the gear

How do fire extinguishers compare to other tools, eg a fire blanket or a bucket of sand?

It is going to depend on your application. All in all, the appropriate size and type of extinguisher are better for most applications then either a sand bucket or fire blanket.

Now, if you are working with metals in your garage a bucket of sand would be a GREAT idea to have around.

The best thing for an incipent grease fire contained in a pot or frying pan is to just put a lid on it.

I saw one of those new aerosol can extinguishers on sale at the hardware store so I bought it. I showed it to my wife and told her I figured it would be more intuitive for her to use that the dry chem in case of a grease fire. She replied "Why do you think I keep a throw rug in front of the stove?" Smart lady.

Not sute what you exsacly mean with a aerosol can extinguisher but if a pan full of oil is on fire, than either put the lid on, a fire blanket or use a special grease extinguisher. A aerosol can doe'sn't sound like any of them...

hereyougo:
http://www.firstalert.com/tundra_fire_extinguishing_spray.php

Replying to myself here... The MSDS I found shows a basic pH and Potassium Hydroxide as an ingredient.

This should be excellent for grease fires. H20+KOH+hot oil=Soap

I worked a summer internship for a fire protection company doing R&D and UL qualifications of wet chemical systems for commercial kitchens. Unlike dry chem, the aqueous solution helps cool the oil by evaporation and forms a soap layer the floats on the surface of the oil.

Once, when the system under test failed, I manually put out a 36" wok filled to the brim with 600 degree flaming oil with a 2-1/2 gal "A" type extinguisher that was charged with this solution.

************ DO NOT USE PLAIN WATER ON A GREASE FIRE *****************

I was randomly researching Tundra, too, and the MSDS I stumbled across listed potassium lactate as the main fire fighting ingredient but no mention of KOH. I thought potassium lactate sounded familiar...looked it up and it is also a common food preservative. Well, anyone who is wondering if it's toxic--they've probably been eating it for a long time already.

Anyway, apparently Tundra is not approved for sale in California, so I guess that I won't be seeing it sold in stores here.

One interesting thing about Tundra is that the solution is kept in a sealed bag inside the can, separate from the propellant. When you press the nozzle down, I guess the tube punctures the bag and pressurizes the solution. I don't believe that the small Fireade2000 extinguisher I just got uses that system.

I would be nervous as heck standing in front of a restaurant-size wok full of flaming oil no matter what kind of extinguisher I had in my hands!

Target Fixation.

I had bunker gear but I forgot to put on gloves and singed the hair off my knuckles. On the video you could hear the other guys yelling "BACK UP!" but I didn't hear them.

And check those batteries ( in the smoke detectors.)

Time to check your fire extinguishers and Smoke detector batteries...

Dry-chemical extinguishers are quite messy and the powder is quite difficult to clean up. It can also be corrosive to some metals if moisture is present. Moisture can combine with this powder and form cement-like slurry that is even more difficult to clean up once it dries. The powder is quite fine, comes out at a considerable velocity and floats on air. This later point can be used to advantage by using a short burst into the air to form a heat shield so you can advance and get a better shot. Unfortunately it means if you discharge a fire extinguisher the powder travels considerable distances. A small powder extinguisher was used on a minuscule trash fire in a kitchen. Surfaces over 100' away had to be cleaned.

I have started shifting away from the universal ABC rated extinguishers to AB rated foam extinguishers. It is easier to use, way easier to clean up, noncorrosive, more intuitive to apply effectively because it aims like a low-velocity hose, foam is more effective against class-A fires than powder because it cools the material, and it is at least, if not more, effective against oil based fires because it fills voids and forms a self-sealing blanket over the fuel. It can be used as a prophylactic on fuel spills. The foam is, reading the fine print, rated as safe around electrical gear as long as the voltage is 150v or less to ground. Normal household power is 120v to ground, even the 240v circuits are 120v to ground.

It may not be an appropriate solution for everyone but it made sense for me. Something to consider.

I've got extinguishers in a number of places around our house. Each floor has a decent sized ABC - Dry Chemical extinguisher. In our kitchen, there are three cmaller extinguishers and an ABC in the adjoining pantry.

I'd like to pick up a couple decent sized CO2 extinguishers. I know CO2 is not the ideal material with which to try to put out a Class A, but it can work. It is much better suited for putting out Class B or C fires. If you have a pure Class C, CO2 is probably the best type of extinguisher, IMHO. I'd like to put the CO2 extinguishers near my main electrical panels and outside the mechanincal space in my basement.

I've used dry chemical to put out a fire, and it is a nasty mess, as mentioned by Art_in_FL.

It's important to note that there are other methods by which fires can be put out, and sometimes those methods are better. If you have a flaming pot on the stove, a pot lid the fits well should do a great job. If you have a small class A, why not a little water, if something to apply it is conveniently close.

We need to always remember fire requires fuel, oxygen, usually some heat to change the fuel into vapors (only vapors burn) and no interruptions to the chemical reaction of burning. Dry chemical hits that last part. But remove any one of them, and out goes the fire.

Several months ago, I had a chirping smoke detector. It was annoying to say the least because the hard-wired detector should not be chirping unless the sensor was gummed up or something. So I reached out to exam the SD and got out my extra power reading glasses to read the very fine print from the ladder.

I checked the model number on the web for a manual. Guess what (aside from the search taking days to find the correct information - even the manufacturer didn't have the manual on line or even list that particular model at all!) The SD has a battery backup in addition to the hard-wired circuit! I did not know that was even necessary but it does make sense - in event of a fire you may also lose your power supply and thus have an inactive SD. It's a bit more expensive than the typical hard-wried unit.

So after much fiddling around I replaced the 9-volt, tested the operations and voila... all's well and I got an education on SDs.

P.S. - also check on your carbon monoxide detector if so equipped near the garage or furnace.

My small contribution to this excellent thread: If you can handle a 20 lb. extinguisher instead of a 5 lb. model, get one. You would not believe the difference in range and knock down power of the larger model.

Craig.

I am not a fireman but I have been a health and safety, and fire safety officer in the work place for many years and have done a number of fire safety courses with the Fire Brigade.

I am a little worried by people talking about fire extinguishers because the fact is if you own them you are likely to use them instead of getting out of the building. Many people with extinguishers tackle fires that are just too big for the extinguisher to handle and the evidence shows that many more people that stay to fight the fire die than those that just attempt to evacuate.

A fire in the home in most cases is totally unmanageable within 60 seconds. It is not the fire that kills but the smoke and fumes. If you stick around to fight the fire you are breathing in that stuff which is slowly rendering you useless. If you use an extinguisher you are actually increasing the amount of dangerous un-burnt fumes given off by the fire.

A fire extinguisher is great to have for knocking down small fires that have just started but once they are bigger than a waste paper bin fire then it is time to get out.

It is also important to get the correct training to use the type of extinguisher you are using. In most cases you want to attack the source of the fire at its base, but if using foam you need to drop the foam from above so that it smothers the fire.

I have not seen anyone mention fire blankets or even damp tea towels as a tool to knock down fires in the kitchen. Kitchens and their appliances are relatively fire resistant by nature. It is normally fat, oil or food stuff that catches fire. Smother the fire with a fire blanket or damp tea towel is the fastest most efficient way to deal with this sort of fire and it is a damn sight less messy than discharging an extinguisher.

This is UK and European advice which is probably similar in the US. In Europe we have a colour code for each type of extinguisher.

Water Extinguishers (Red)
USE – Paper, wood, textiles and solid material fires
DON’T USE – Liquid, electrical or metal fires

Powder Extinguishers (Blue)
USE - Liquid, electrical, wood, paper & textile fires
DON’T USE - Metal fires

AFFF Foam Extinguishers (Cream)
USE - Liquid, paper, wood & textile fires
DON’T USE - Electrical or metal fires

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Extinguishers (Black)
USE - Liquid & Electrical fires
DON’T USE - Metal fires

Couldn't agree more. That's the same general "rule" I was taught. (I've been trained on various types of extinguishers all the way to a 1 1/2" hose for handling petrol fires) That size of fire (wastepaper basket) should be able to be put out with a simple 2 lb. fire extinguisher. Having a larger one is OK but having that larger extinguisher might also give someone more confidence that they could put out a larger fire than they really should be trying to handle. An unnoticed smoldering fire in a couch can go to flashover in 5 minutes but the smoke generated can make it very difficult to be in the same room in under a minute.

It is more important to have them close and handy to quickly attack the fire rather than running out to the garage for the big 20 lber and waste 30 seconds. I'd rather have a number of 2-5 lb extinguishers scattered throughout the house.

Just by way of background, I am a professional firefighter, as well as a safety officer, which does NOT make me any sort of expert. But you raise several points, not all of which I entirely agree with or think are supported by the available data.
Evacuation is typically the "default" safe option, at least for the evacuee. I'd be interested to see the evidence you are referring to, above, regarding people dying from taking on fires too big for their extinguishers, though. I couldn't find any such evidence in a cursory search.

Fires do kill, and unsuppressed fires kill more readily. On the other hand, fires are much easier to knock down early, and knocked down fires are much less deadly, especially to others who haven't yet or can't evacuate. Think about the potential consequences of a fire in your apartment or condo. Alarm, containment nad suppression is sometimes a better strategy than immediate evacuation. The life you save may NOT be your own.

The point is, it's often worthwhile to try knocking down a fire in it's incipient stage, before it becomes a killer. A portable extinguisher discharges in several seconds to less than a minute, typically. But it can extinguish surprisingly large fires. So it may be well worth taking the time to hit it with the extinguisher first, then evacuate.

Also, sometimes evacuation is just not an option. Consider a fire in a nursing home or aboard a ferry boat, for example. In these circumstances, you will have to rely on the ability of your extinguishers to knock down the fire, because evacuation may not be an option.Sometimes, sometimes not. Fire is somewhat idiosyncratic. Or maybe not so slowly. In addition to the lack of oxygen, many products of combustion are toxic, containing things like forms of cyanide.Doubtful.
I'm unaware of any such hard and fast rule. I take your point about getting out safely while you still can, instead of foolishly trying to fight an obviously out of control fire with a puny extinguisher. It is an entirely valid and important point.

But I think it is important, in this survival forum with it's focus on preparedness, not to unintentionally undermine either people's confidence in the effectiveness of portable extinguishers, nor their confidence in their ability to deal with outbreaks of fire before they grow into killers.

So:

Have portable extinguishers. Have enough extinguishers. Have the right types(s) of extinguishers. Know how to use your extinguishers. Have smoke, fire, and CO detectors. Have and practice your fire/evacuation plan.

Thanks for your comments Jeff, I will get back to you tomorrow.

I just wanted to show you a link to a relevant article in my local newspaper - kitchen fires are becoming more common here. It gives a number of examples of less than intelligent first responses to a fire which just goes to show that having a plan and practising it so that you respond instinctively and correctly can save you from a bigger problem.

Cooking Fires Becoming an Alarming Trend

I know it's easy to forget about something on the stove, I have in the past had some burned or spoiled food because I was not attentive to what I was cooking. It isn't a big leap from burned food to an actual kitchen fire.

Close at hand is good - one (small - 2lb) attached to the wall in the Kitchen, one 10lb in the upstairs linen closet, one 10lb in the detached garage, one 5 lb in the basement, and another 10lb in the basement that gets moved to the den in the fall/winter when we MIGHT light the fireplace (have not in 2 years, but)

Why the 10 lbs jobs? I have a friend who gets full charged, good units that are near the end of their hydro test time for free. He's in the business - around here, for commercial use, they have to be swapped out or re-hydro tested - cheaper to swap. I get handed units with a year or so on their hydro, but are still pefectly good and inspected except for that

I also have 2 lb units in both the car and the truck

I'm trying to find a free Purple K unit for the shop, but....

My new fire alarm / smoke detector / and snack!

Fire Alarm?

It is old school, log cabin, and very 1930s but a simple bucket full of sand works on most fires and work very well on grease fires.

A five pound ABC dry chemical fire extinguisher may run you $12 to $18. Larger units and less popular types, like pressurized water, foam or CO2 are much more expensive.

A nice two and a half gallon galvanized steel bucket goes for about $10 and builder's or beach sand can be had for free. Of course you don't have to buy a new bucket. Any appropriately sized bucket with solid construction will work. Your typical five gallon units are too big. They would be too heavy when full and too large to swing easily. I have seen them cut down to half size and they seemed to work well enough.

If you can manufacture a lid that can be removed immediately you can simply use a two to three gallon plastic bucket and fill it with water with a cap full of bleach to keep the water from getting funky. You wouldn't want this setup in the kitchen or garage where class-B fires are your major hazards but in the basement or bedroom where class-A fires are most common it would work well. Possibly better than a five pound dry chemical unit. Given the cost there is no reason not to prepare two or three buckets ahead of time.

Another option is to have a thick wood blanket on hand. Better still if it is treated with a borax solution as a fire retardant but even untreated wool is naturally fire resistant enough that it will still work to smother a fire and buy you time. covering a fire with a wool blanket and following with a bucket of sand or water, depending on the type of fire, is a time tested strategy. A wool blanket is still considered the best way to extinguish a person on fire.

My point here is that while commercially available extinguishers have become the reflexive answer for fire protection there are other, older options. Options that are both cheaper and potentially more effective than most off-the-shelf extinguishers. People have been fighting fire for a very long time and many of those older techniques still work. Sometimes they have real advantages in cost and your ability to create, maintain, and refill your own fire fighting equipment.

A lack of resources shouldn't keep people from having effective fire protection on hand.

That is likely the best advice of all.

If you look at industrial sites you will notice most fire extinguishers are located at the exits. The idea is to get people out of the building instead of letting them be trapped inside by the fire.
Most people do not have the training or skills to fight a fire effectively.
Usually they panic and do exactly the wrong things.

The first step in being prepared is to get the required knowledge.

(and firefighting really should include fire prevention as a first step)

Edit: Roarmeister, how often do you change the batteries in your alarm? (LOL)

Whatever happened to the old adage's,"Keep the lid Handy"? To smother the flames on that Frying pan/Wok!& The ABC Extinguishers-"ABC's Extinguish All Three!" Again,What's more messy,A successful fire,or an Unsuccessful fire? As Always,YMMV

Yes - Fire extinguishers should ALWAY be located between the likely source of fire and the door. Easiest way to do that is to have the extinguisher at/near the door/stairs out. The basement unit is mounted on the side of the staircase, the linen closet is next to the steps down from upstairs, the kitchen unit is next to one of the doors out, the garage unit is on the wall next to the door

Next year, there are plans to renovate my house (fingers crossed) - one item on the lis of a "would be nice - let's see the cost" is putting in a sprinkler system!

KG2V: When I replaced my gas/hot water furnace a few years ago, for $150 extra, I had the plumber install a sprinkler head over the furnace. Cheap insurance in my estimation.

I've seen people do this above their 250 gallon propane tank... really what's sprinkler water gonna do when your propane tank is blowing a 50ft flame out the release valve? Never really understood that.

The idea is to prevent the small fire from getting to the tank, and poping that safety valve

That makes sense... but by the time it's to the tank it's probably pretty big... we live in the woods and most tanks are surrounded by trees, shrub, etc.

We are required to keep a clearing around the tank / above it... but IMHO it's not nearly enough to prevent it from over heating and popping the valve and tossing flames.

I've got a bunch in my house, in my shop, in the bed rooms, in the basement, in my vehicles, ect. It's one of those things that I can't remember the last time I used one, but I still wouldn't want to be without it. I've also got smoke and co2 detectors in my home (which are hardwired into the house alarm system so they will alert the police/fire/EMS). I've seen a few house fires in my lifetime and it amazes me how fast they can get out of hand. The earlier they can be stopped, the better.

Speaking of fire extinguishers, I've even got a little old Halon extinguisher sitting right by my computer. Halon is a bit rough, as it's bad for people to breath and it's bad for the enviroment, but it will still put out a small electrical fire with minimum damage to sensitive elecronics; so that's why it stays there.