Should I have a fire extinguisher in my holiday rental/airbnb property?

by with No Comment InformationRules and Regulations

The rules and regulations when it comes to fire safety in a airbnb or a holiday rental. All the safety steps that you should be taking as an owner of one of these properties or that your ‘landlord’ should of followed before renting to you.

When hosting your Airbnb house, fire safety regulations must be followed. This is to ensure that the house stayers and the house stay safe. You may ask to yourself – “Should I have a fire extinguisher in my airBnB property?” Well the rules must comply with Airbnb’s regulations on safety and fire safety. Here is a good link explaining the details of their rules.

When renting out a holiday rental you should have at least one fire extinguisher on every level of your home. They should be placed in the rooms with the highest probability of a fire – the kitchen especially, as well as any areas with open fires. Another option is a fire blanket. 

Here is our guide to the different types of fire extinguisher. This might help you decide which fire extinguisher suits your needs best.

AirBnB hosts are told to list their safety features. They are told to tick all their safety features under the Home Safety section for the Airbnb listing so stayers know what the home has in terms of Safety. 

Some hosts will even include a paragraph on safety at the end of their property description that mentions smoke alarms and first aid kits in order to reassure guests.

AirBnB have a page regarding their safety regulations as a guide for hosts. This page is linked here.

Leaving contact numbers for emergency medical, fire and police services is recommended. Leaving a card stating:

  • Locations of fire extinguishers and fire blankets
  • Emergency exit routes
  • Location of first aid kit
  • More than one contact number for you (i.e. include your landline plus mobile, or your partner’s phone number as well as your own)

We recommend to do this because it is deemed as the polite and the correct thing to do.

Driving in Europe? Which countries require Fire Extinguishers and other safety products?

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What safety products do you need when driving in Europe?

Which countries require Fire Extinguishers and other safety products according to their rules and regulations.

Are you thinking about doing any driving in Europe? You might be thinking – “What safety products do you need when driving in Europe?” Here is your guide to what products you need in different countries.

First off, most importantly almost all the other countries in Europe drive on the right hand side of the road. That is a costly one to forget when making the transition from the UK to the rest of Europe. 

First Aid Kit and Fire Extinguisher

A car first aid kit and fire extinguisher is required by law in most Nordic, Eastern European, Baltic and Soviet countries.

A vehicle first aid kit and fire extinguisher is not legally required when driving in France, Spain, Italy, Germany and other Central European countries however it is still recommended. 

Choosing the correct fire extinguisher is also important. Here is our Guide to the Best Fire Extinguishers for Cars.

Spare Light Bulbs

You are required to carry spare light bulbs when driving in France, the Czech Republic and some Yugosphere countries.

Reflective Jacket

The majority of European countries require a reflective jacket or vest for either just the driver or every passenger in the car. The notable exception is for driving in the Netherlands and the likes of Albania and Ireland. You are still recommended to have these reflective jackets. Even in countries where they are not required by law. 

Emergency Triangle

Aside from the UK, almost all European countries require the vehicle to be equipped with an emergency triangle to be used in accidents or breakdowns (Some countries such as Spain, Cyprus, Estonia and Bosnia even require 2). Even if the country does not require an emergency triangle by law, it is still recommended to carry one.

European Driving Safety Requirements

CountriesFirst Aid KitFire ExtinguisherSpare Light BulbsReflective JacketEmergency Triangle
AlbaniaYYYNOne
AndorraNYYYTwo
AustriaYNNYOne
BelarusYYYYOne
BelgiumYYNYOne
Bosnia & HerzegovinaYNNYTwo
BulgariaYYNYOne
CroatiaNNNYOne
Czech RepublicYNYYOne
DenmarkYYYYOne
EstoniaYYYYTwo
FinlandYYYYOne
FranceNNYYOne
GermanyYNNYOne
GreeceYYNNOne
HungaryYNNYOne
IcelandYYYYOne
IrelandYYYNOne
ItalyNNNYOne
LatviaYYYYOne
LiechtensteinYYYYOne
LithuaniaYYYYOne
LuxembourgYYYYOne
MaltaYYYYOne
MoldovaYYYYOne
MonacoYYYYOne
MontenegroYYYYOne
NetherlandsNNNNOne
North MacedoniaYYYYOne
NorwayYYYYOne
PolandNYNYOne
PortugalNNNYOne
RomaniaYYNYOne
RussiaYYYYOne
San MarinoYYYYOne
SerbiaYYYYOne
SlovakiaYYYYOne
SloveniaYYYYOne
SpainNNNYTwo
SwedenYYYYOne
SwitzerlandNNNNOne
UkraineYYYYOne
United KingdomNNNNNone
Vatican CityNNNYOne

Fire Safety Regulations For Boats and Vessels

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A brief overview on the Fire Safety regulations for boats and vessels.  The requirements of Fire Extinguishers and Fire Safety products on Boats or Vessels.

The fire safety regulations for boats and vessels must be thought about when owning a boat or vessel. When first sold or put into use, vessels built for the UK market in compliance with the UK Recreational Craft Regulations 2017. They also must be suitable for the EU market in compliance with Directive 2013/53/EU. That includes protection from risk and spread of fire and the provision of fire-fighting equipment appropriate to the fire hazard.

Both the UK and the EU recognise that conformity with the fire protection requirements can be achieved by applying ISO 9094. Small craft – Fire Protection which specifies the minimum requirements for fire fighting equipment.

However, further means of firefighting may be necessary (or required by law). This applies particularly to UK registered private pleasure vessels over 13.7m, which fall under UK Merchant Shipping Regulations.

Even if a firefighting kit is not mandatory, any vessel that is constructed of, or carries, any flammable materials should carry firefighting equipment.

When planning fire safety, consider the amount and type of combustible material on board. You should think about where extinguishers might be needed and how to stow them. 

There should also be a fitted fire alarm that should be tested regularly. 

These are the guidelines on the amount of fire extinguishers and minimum fire rating required according to size of the vessel.

Approximate length of vessel  Number of fire extinguishers (consider one for each sleeping cabin)  Combined fire rating
under 7m(23ft)                 2           10A/68B
7 – 11m(23-36ft)                 2            13A/89B 
11 – 13.7m(36-45ft)                 3        21A/144B 

can fire extinguishers freeze

Can Fire Extinguishers Freeze?

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When purchasing a new fire extinguisher, the location it is going to be stored in is integral. If that location is prone to low temperatures, the fire extinguisher you want might not be suitable, find out now.

can fire extinguishers freeze

Water Fire Extinguishers

Water fire extinguishers should be kept at a temperature range of +5°C to +60°C. If kept at a temperature below 5°C Water fire extinguishers will not work properly and will freeze when the temperature gets to 0°C. This also goes for Water Plus as well as Water Mist extinguishers. To find out more about these extinguishers, click here.

6 litre water fire extinguisher
6 litre foam fire extinguisher

AFF Foam Fire Extinguishers

AFF Foam fire extinguishers should also be kept at a temperature range of +5°C to 60°C. If kept at a temperature below 5°C Foam fire extinguishers will not work properly and will freeze. To find out more about these extinguishers, click here.

 

Wet Chemical Fire Extinguishers

Wet Chemical fire extinguishers should be kept at a temperature range of 0°C to 60°C. If kept at a temperature below freezing Wet Chemical fire extinguishers will not work and will freeze. To find out more about these extinguishers, click here.

2 litre multichem fire extinguisher

MultiCHEM Fire Extinguishers

MultiCHEM fire extinguishers are usable when kept in the temperature range of -5°C to +60°C. This means MultiCHEM fire extinguishers will freeze and will not be functional at any temperature below -5°C. To find out more about these fire extinguishers click here.

 

Dry Powder Fire Extinguishers

Regular Dry Powder fire extinguishers can be kept at a temperature as low as -10°C with no further additional freeze protection. These therefore are perfect for situations where the temperatures might drop below freezing because they are designed to cope with these temperatures. To find out more about these extinguishers, click here.

CO2 Fire Extinguishers

CO2 fire extinguishers can be kept in the incredible temperature range of -20°C to +60°C. This allows them to stay useful in almost all locations because of there usability in pretty much any weather. CO2 extinguishers are therefore able to be used after being stored outside and in locations down to -20°C. To find out more about these extinguishers click here.

Low Freeze Additive Fire Extinguishers

Low Freeze Additive Fire extinguishers are able to be stored in temperatures down to -9°C. These are available for Water and AFF Foam Extinguishers. This is a very common choice for low temperature locations because of the usability of Water and Foam extinguishers. To find out more about these extinguishers, click here.

low freeze ad fire extinguisher - can fire extinguishers freeze
the best fire extinguisher for cars

The Best Fire Extinguishers for Cars

by with No Comment InformationTypes of Fire Extinguisher

What is the best fire extinguisher for cars? To answer that question, first the features of a great fire extinguisher for cars must be looked at. So for an Extinguisher to be the right fit for a car, it has to be able to deal with:

  • Class A Fires (Wood, Paper or Any Carbonaceous materials)
  • Class B Fires (Flammable Liquids)
  • Class C Fires (Flammable Gases)

Bearing this in mind there are only a few extinguishers that can combat all of these classes of fire.

This then makes a Dry Powder fire extinguisher the most suitable and affordable choice. These extinguishers however aren’t recommended for use within a confined space so should be avoided for use inside motorhomes and caravans when there are people close. But instead for those cases a AFF Foam fire extinguisher is recommended.

Here at Fireology we have a great range of products that would be suitable for use in cars, caravans and motorhomes. It is important that the right type of extinguisher is used on each fire, we aim to aid that choice with our expertise here at Fireology. 

Our pick of the best fire extinguisher for cars is :

  • CommanderEDGE 1kg ABC Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher

Or

  • CommanderEDGE 2kg ABC Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher

In the UK fire extinguishers aren’t required by law, but in other European countries they do. So to find out what safety equipment is required in different countries across Europe, click the link here and find our blog post about safety regulations whilst driving across Europe.

fire extinguishers in films

Fire Extinguishers in Films

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fire extinguishers in films

Fire Extinguishers in Films

Fire Extinguishers in films are a pretty popular prop, so here are 5 popular encounters with the big red cannisters in famous movies.

1. Gravity (2013)

This film features a notorious scene where Sandra Bullock’s character Dr. Ryan Stone ejects herself from her Soyuz spacecraft and propels herself towards Tiagong. To do this she uses a fire extinguisher as a makeshift thruster to travel to the rapidly deorbiting spacecraft. The fire extinguisher is shown to push Dr. Stone through space and is used to project her towards the passing spacecraft. This scene was actually busted on MythBusters Jr. where they attempted to see if it would actually work. They found that the fire extinguisher lacked enough force to fully change the direction of the user and just didn’t have enough force like it was shown to have in the movie.

gravity
irreversible

2. Irréversible (2002)

This psychological thriller starts off with a horrific and graphic scene featuring a man getting his face smashed in by a fire extinguisher. This comes from Vincent Cassel’s character Marcus thinks he has found the man that killed his girlfriend. The fight then starts in a gay bar in Paris. With the potential murderer getting the advantage in the fight, Marcus’ friend steps in and beats the potential murderer’s face using a fire extinguisher. This scene then gets very graphic and disturbing to watch as the man beats the potential murderer’s face to a pulp, using the fire extinguisher. This film plays in a reverse order of the scenes creating an interesting look on the events that happened on that Paris night.

3. WALL-E (2008)

This fantastic childhood staple film is an absolute classic. The scene near the end of the film shows WALL-E launched into space in a space shuttle in an attempt to retrieve the plant. EVE then projects herself out to save WALL-E but then sees the spacecraft explode. WALL-E bursts past EVE using a fire extinguisher as a thruster in space to project himself through space. The scene then follows on with EVE and WALL-E shooting through space around the giant ship (The Axiom). WALL-E uses his fire extinguisher to propel him around with EVE in celebration of saving the plant. This film tells an amazing story and was selected for preservation in the United States Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. 

extinguishers in films
fire extinguishers

4. Salt (2010)

This American action-thriller film is about the woman Evelyn Salt being accused of being a Russian sleeper agent. She then goes on the run in an attempt to clear her name. The scene depicts Salt stuck in a room with armed police closing on her location. Salt then creates a weapon using chemicals and a fire extinguisher to then shoot at the police when they get into the room to allow for her escape. This then works with her shooting the fire extinguisher at them as they are about to enter. This then leaves them unconscious on the floor, allowing for Salt to steal a gun and escape the complex. In her escape she shoots at security cameras to restrict the over watchers vision on her location.

5. Nightmare at the Museum (2006)

The fantastic fantasy film depicts a museum night guard played by Ben Stiller. His simple job quickly turns into something else when the exhibits come to life after dark. In the scene where the cavemen are depicted ‘discovering fire’, the fire spreads and Ben Stiller’s character Larry quickly puts out the fire with his foam fire extinguisher. This quickly turns into the cavemen tasting the foam and throwing it at Larry’s face. Then follows Larry’s famous quote “Why?”, which erupts the cavemen into laughter. The scene continues with Larry having foam on his face and around his mouth. This then leads to the infamous slapping the monkey scene. Larry and a monkey continuously slap each other over a set of keys to the museum. 

fire extinguishers in films
history of fire extinguishers

History of Fire Extinguishers

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Look into the History of Fire Extinguishers

A brief look into the history of the fire extinguisher, the red cannisters that we see every day.

history of fire extinguishers

1819

In the history of fire extinguishers, this one is an important one. In 1819 Captain George William Manby invented the first version of the modern fire extinguisher. His extinguisher was a copper vessel and contained 3 gallons of pearl ash solution under compressed air pressure.

history of fire extinguishers
history of fire extinguishers

Late 1800's

In the late 1800’s the soda-acid extinguisher was invented. These extinguishers would work by containing 1 or 2 gallons of water and had sodium bicarbonate mixed in. In the cylinder a vial was suspended and contained concentrated sulphuric acid. 

This vial was then broken, using two different methods depending on the style of extinguisher. Once the acid was mixed with the bicarbonate solution, carbon dioxide gas would be expelled and this would in turn pressurise the water. The pressurised water was forced from the canister through a short length of hose and a nozzle.

1912

Around 1912 Pyrene pioneered the carbon tetrachloride or CTC extinguisher, these extinguishers projected the liquid from a brass or chrome container by hand pump, onto the fire. They worked by interfering with the chemical reaction that takes place. This extinguisher was suitable for liquid and electrical fires. The vapours and combustion by-products emitted were highly toxic and did lead to multiple deaths when used in a confined area.

old fire extinguishers

Mid to Late 1900's

In the mid to late 1900’s the modern type of fire extinguisher used different extinguishing agents. Manufacturers of extinguishers generally use some type of pressurised vessel to store and discharge the extinguishing agents.

The first type of extinguisher used pressurised air to approximately 1 bar (approximately 5 times a car tyre pressure). 

The second type of fire extinguishers are the “gas cartridge” type. These operate in a similar manner, but the pressure source is a small cartridge of CO2 gas at 130 bars, rather than air.

2011

In 2011 Britannia introduced the first self-maintenance extinguishers, which for the first time in extinguisher history do not require service engineers to visit sites and maintain them. These units overcame the problem of corrosion, lining damage and pressure loss by being designed of composite plastics, Aramid and brass. 

This extinguisher can withstand higher pressures than ordinary steel extinguishers. Britannia’s self-maintenance extinguishers cannot corrode and do not require any attention other than ensuring that the units are not missing, damaged or discharged. They do not require refills after 5 years, either. Also they are kitemarked and MED approved. 

To find out more about these types of extinguisher, click the link here and learn more about them on Britannia’s website.