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29 March 2024

Why you should have fire extinguisher in car

Police said they believe she was trying to end her life. (Shutterstock)

Published
By Majorie van Leijen

For long, safety experts have argued that a fire extinguisher should be one of the items mandatory in a vehicle.

In Dubai, a fire extinguisher is mandatory in heavy vehicles and buses. However, in light vehicles, it is not mandatory to keep the equipment, said the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

In summer last year, several media reports appeared stating that a rule making it mandatory to have a fire extinguisher in the car had been issued in Abu Dhabi. On the federal level no similar instructions were given, and it is unclear who should have the equipment onboard, and where.

This does not mean the topic has not been discussed in the decision making chambers. A rule of such nature has been proposed, and by many parties supported. “As a Licensing Agency we surely believe it is a good idea to have such a rule, as it will help people in case of a vehicle fire, which regularly occur in his region,” commented Ahmad Bahrozyan, CEO at the Licensing Agency at the RTA.

Statistics presented by Dubai Civil Defence pointed out that fire incidents in transportation means on the ground have accounted for the most common case of accidents in the emirate for the past three years (2010-2013).

Civil Defence has held several campaigns on how to act in case of a vehicle fire, stressing that the fire extinguisher should always be present.

Shehabe Al Badawy, international lecturer and fire safety trainer at Dubai Civil Defence gave a three-step guideline on how to respond: “First, you switch off the vehicle. Then, you open the front of your car, but not too far, because the oxygen can induce fire; 3-5 cm is enough. Finally, you extinguish the fire with the fire extinguisher until it is empty,” he said.

Which fire extinguisher?

Some manufacturers already deliver the car with a fire extinguisher onboard, said Bahrozyan. This is a helpful incentive, as not everybody might know how to go about the purchase of the equipment.

There are different types of fire extinguishers for different types of fire. Most experts recommend the dry powder-based extinguisher as the most suitable solution in the car.  The dry powder extinguisher is suitable for class A fires (including solids such as paper, wood, or plastic), class B fires (including flammable liquids such as paraffin, petrol, and oil) as well as class C fires (including flammable gases such as propane, butane, and methane).

However, a dry-powder based extinguisher can be costly, and people may opt for a black cylinder containing carbon dioxide instead. This extinguisher is good for class B fires, but does not provide post-fire security; the fire could re-ignite after extinguishing it.

How to use the extinguisher?

Apart from knowing when to use the extinguisher, it is also important to know how to handle the cylinder. It is a simple task, but one needs to be aware of the steps to be taken.

They key word in using the fire extinguisher is PASS, an internationally recognised connotation for the phrase Pull, Aim, Squeeze and Sweep.

The first step in using a fire extinguisher is to 'pull' the safety pin. This pin is located at the handle. Removing it enables the user to operate the extinguisher.

The direction to 'aim' the extinguishing indicates the point at which the substance should be targeted. This is the base of the fire, rather than the flames that have surrounded it.

The person should then 'squeeze' the handle, and make a 'sweeping' motion while extinguishing the fire.

(Image via Shutterstock)