Fire Extinguishers and mounting.

[_jp_]

I have just ordered a couple of brackets from Kap Industries. One for the Evo and one for the Pajero.

Sure, I could probably make something up like I have on previous cars but I don't get much time out in the shed these days.

I'll let you know what they're like once installed.

[Ian H]

I had mine installed by Russell (Kapp Industries) last week and now it's out of the way under the front of the passenger seat and easily accessible, but not in the way.
Prior to that, I had it in the rear draw taking up space I could have used for other things.

He made a video of the installation process which is on his web site here.....https://kap.industries/product/mitsu...isher-bracket/

Very professional product and a good guy to deal with.

[_jp_]

I have just ordered a couple of brackets from Kap Industries. One for the Evo and one for the Pajero.

Sure, I could probably make something up like I have on previous cars but I don't get much time out in the shed these days.

I'll let you know what they're like once installed.

I finally got around to mounting the Kap Industries brackets in the Evo and Paj. Perfect fit!

[jaffles]

Some good ideas here, its a cold thread but thanks to all.

Myself a few others had the experience of an accidental grass fire once upon a time. It took 5 x 1kg extinguishers to put it out plus bit of dancing and water we didn't really have spare.

Lessons learned on the day.
2kg + is a good amount in any combination. 1 kg is grossly inadequate. When that extinguisher puffs out and the fire is still going you feel a little somewhat deflated and a little desperate. Personally I will be fitting 3 x 1kg, and at $20 these daysi I don't care if I replace them every 3 to 5 years.

Have them VERY easily accessible. Not tucked away out of sight. When the panic is on you do not want to have to unpack or move a heap of stuff to access it. Quite amazing how fast a fire spreads. Wind, accelerant, distance to extinguisher, ease of access to that extinguisher all play an unforeseen substantial role.

[spot01]

Some good ideas here, its a cold thread but thanks to all.

Myself a few others had the experience of an accidental grass fire once upon a time. It took 5 x 1kg extinguishers to put it out plus bit of dancing and water we didn't really have spare.

Lessons learned on the day.
2kg + is a good amount in any combination. 1 kg is grossly inadequate. When that extinguisher puffs out and the fire is still going you feel a little somewhat deflated and a little desperate. Personally I will be fitting 3 x 1kg, and at $20 these daysi I don't care if I replace them every 3 to 5 years.

Have them VERY easily accessible. Not tucked away out of sight. When the panic is on you do not want to have to unpack or move a heap of stuff to access it. Quite amazing how fast a fire spreads. Wind, accelerant, distance to extinguisher, ease of access to that extinguisher all play an unforeseen substantial role.

I prefer to have one larger ext with a hose that can more easily direct the squirt into hard to reach areas under the car or the engine bay. It also means you don't have to stop & get another ext, allowing the fire to flare up again. Keep an eye out for specials, as they can be had for reasonable prices sometimes.
I also carry a 1kg in a different part of the car.
Check the ratings, eg, some 1kg are 10ABE & others are 20ABE = twice the fire stop in the same size unit. Larger units can be 30 or 40, etc.
They all need to be well secured so they don't become missiles in a hard stop or crash.
Give them a good shake upside down every few months & belt their backsides with a rubber mallet to dislodge the powder.
Also shake them upside down before using to free the powder.

[jaffles]

Spot01 yeh I'd prefer 2.5kg. The one I had in my old car had a hose. Thanks for the rating heads up.

The Pajero doesn't seem suited for one unless its on the side of the dog box near the rear door. Then its like a pimple but in the way as well.

I've assumed with one perhaps in front of the of driver and passenger seat the wife can grab one when I do, or while I attend. Kids could get the dog box door. There is assumption people are around and close. Other wise I could grab the three and a run around the car before attending. Not the best have to admit.

Might have a look around the spare wheel, see if some plastic can be cut away for a bigger extinguisher. However I've just owned a Defender, kind of didn't wants shit hanging off everywhere again. Probably not the wisest mounting them externally front or rear anyway.

[spot01]

I think the most likely place for a fire to start is the exhaust under the car with vegetation stuck around it (esp. if it has a DPF), followed by the engine, etc.

So I keep the big ext just inside the rear cargo door frame (in the corner) & the small ext near the driver.

Reason being, a fire under the car may prevent you getting access via side doors, but rear door is more likely to be OK.

If you run out of ext, cans of drink can be very useful (shake first), but try to use the kid's softdrink & save the beer!

Prevention is always better than cure, so check under the car frequently for grass or spinifex buildup if driving in that type of terrain (a long pointy stick is very useful to clean grass out underneath or around a hot exhaust, etc).

[oldn64]

Most Auto extingishers are designed to save the occupants not the vehicle. You will find you run out very quickly. But it can reduce the damages so not all is lost.

All cars of mine have one in either the passenger seat fron or driver seat front (or both) as a minimum. I would highly encourage carrying more than one and in more than one area. Again options are good as fire is one of those things that can spread quickly. Also make sure you understand how to use one. Like anything a tool used in the incorrect/wrong manner can actually make things worse.

The other thing is carry a fire blanket or a wool picnic blanket, then too can be used to smother a fire and are easy to do so when you have an engine bay fire. However, if it is raging then dont bother you will cause yourself more damage by trying to use the blanket.

Fire get fuelled and encouraged by oxygen. if you plan to open the bonnet do it extremely slowly. We have popped the bonnet before to get a hose of the extinguisher underneath it to start the process of putting the fire out and then lift the bonnet slowly, See it all too often that people open the bonnet quickly have the fire flash and rush up only to burn them and the vehicle intensely.

While yes having insurance not cover some of your toys and items is upsetting, having health issues due to fire is not something easily fixed or replaced, the vehicle is a material item and will be able to be replaced, people cannot.

Cheers

[spot01]

Most Auto extingishers are designed to save the occupants not the vehicle. You will find you run out very quickly. But it can reduce the damages so not all is lost.

All cars of mine have one in either the passenger seat fron or driver seat front (or both) as a minimum. I would highly encourage carrying more than one and in more than one area. Again options are good as fire is one of those things that can spread quickly. Also make sure you understand how to use one. Like anything a tool used in the incorrect/wrong manner can actually make things worse.

The other thing is carry a fire blanket or a wool picnic blanket, then too can be used to smother a fire and are easy to do so when you have an engine bay fire. However, if it is raging then dont bother you will cause yourself more damage by trying to use the blanket.

Fire get fuelled and encouraged by oxygen. if you plan to open the bonnet do it extremely slowly. We have popped the bonnet before to get a hose of the extinguisher underneath it to start the process of putting the fire out and then lift the bonnet slowly, See it all too often that people open the bonnet quickly have the fire flash and rush up only to burn them and the vehicle intensely.

While yes having insurance not cover some of your toys and items is upsetting, having health issues due to fire is not something easily fixed or replaced, the vehicle is a material item and will be able to be replaced, people cannot.

Cheers

Well said - totally agree.

I did a fire safety course years ago & was surprised how quickly a 9kg ext ran out!

If possible, have other people urgently getting other extinguishers & keep them coming.

Small units are really only good for very small fires if you get them real quick.

A couple of other tips:
- make sure you are upwind of the fire, out of the smoke + the ext powder will blow straight into your face & eyes otherwise (leave glasses on when using ext.)
- unless wearing 100% cotton or wool clothing, be very careful, as synthetics catch fire easily, burn fast & melt into your skin, leaving horrible burns (not worth it to try to save an insurance claim)
- never use water, etc. on a cooking oil fire (it will explode), only a fire blanket if safe.

So unless you really know what you are doing, or are going to be stranded in a very remote area (& probably still not worth risking serious injury so far from help), it is usually best to run away & watch from a distance!

When you see the trained Firies fighting a car fire on a street or a race track, with all their training, PPE & firepower, taking a while to knock it down, imagine yourself there with a 1kg or 3kg toy ext wearing shorts & a synthetic T shirt................. - this is why I say, usually just run away.

[oldn64]

When you see the trained Firies fighting a car fire on a street or a race track, with all their training, PPE & firepower, taking a while to knock it down, imagine yourself there with a 1kg or 3kg toy ext wearing shorts & a synthetic T shirt................. - this is why I say, usually just run away.

Yep, I am involved with CFA trust me when I say that it is people with experience that generally just walk or run away..... I have attended may fires in the backyard where the owners soon realised that the garden hose cannot deliver enough or spread enough to put out their small bon fire

FIRE is Dangerous. Treat it with respect. As a race driving instructor we inform people that the 1kg fire extingishers are not for the car, it is for you to safely exit the car. Let the crews deal with the car as we dont want to use the ambulance and air wing if we can help it.....

Very good point on the clothing one though, many people dont realise how flammable alot of their clothing is. Have a look at tarps going up in flames and nylon clothing on youtube, you might change the way you purchase clothing. (cotton with elastane is not a fire retardant material.......stand well away)

The other very useful information if like mentioned above are dealing with a fat fire.... grab some bicarb soda...... it will put it out in an instant like the fire extinguisher. Dont use sugar..... think about how ethanol is made......it can be interesting, DONT USE FLOUR AT ALL.....you will cause and explosion.

Cheers

[willneill]

I use the seat slide bar in the front and have my mine installed via electrcians ties to it.

I did the same. 2 second job and its between my legs. The only thing that annoys me is all the rattly bits of metal like the maintenance tag and pin. Would like something small like a stryker in the back.

[spot01]

I did the same. 2 second job and its between my legs. The only thing that annoys me is all the rattly bits of metal like the maintenance tag and pin. Would like something small like a stryker in the back.

The tag & pin are easily silenced using some tape.

If using nylon cable ties, make sure they are very large & strong ones, as the forces applied in an accident may break the smaller ones, resulting in a missile inside the car!
Also, I have found some cable ties have fallen apart after some years in the sun (due to UV damage), so I would replace them every few years if used for this.
I would prefer to use metal straps for that method of securing a heavy object inside a car.
There is a reason why CAMS only permit extinguishers with metal straps in race cars (plastic is not allowed).

Anyone who has an old 1kg extinguisher lying around, find a place where you can let it off without the powder causing any issues & see how pathetic the fire squash is!

As for the 500gm ones, well, you will achieve more by using it to pat out the fire than by discharging it.............

If you ever use one of these on a car, wash the powder off the car asap, as it is corrosive.

[Jasonmc73]

If one thinks they are going to fight a bushfire Or a car well alight, i think your dreaming.

I will have one of these in car & I have one in my kitchen with fire blanket.

Of course if house is well alight this ain't gunna do crap.

A pot on stove thats lit the cupboard caught early on, i might be in with a show, same goes for camper trailer or car.

Well alight house contents, camper or car get a load of the fumes & heat, you'll be dealing with.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkpU4NSeDk8

[jaffles]

Yeh they literally are like a band aid, but we are not dealing with broken arms here.

The little incident I had was in the desert on the edge of a sizeable dirt patch on the track. It sided with mid thigh grass the disappeared over the small dunes. The prevailing wind was such, and we set the billy up in hind sight on the wrong side of the dirt patch and wind. However it was on dirt a good metre from any grass. Our controlled fire went from a soldering bunch of small sticks about the size of a packet of cigarets, to about 2 maybe 3 times size in the Seek Adventures vid. The grass fore started from not being extinguished after use, or the billy not placed back over it to control it again.

I'm not sure how long 20 maybe 30 seconds. But the time someone was dancing on it to 4 blokes getting their extinguishers it has grown significantly. Dancing on it probably didn't help as it encouraged embers to fly. But in the panic of unusual events people do what they do. 5 x 1kg extinguishers was what it took and them some soft gentle dancing and water.

It was mentioned earlier don't stand down wind of the extinguisher. I for one felt quite queasy for some time as I was that bloke. Last stand I guess in my head, it wasn't getting past me but based myself at the same time.

We all shat ourselves, because if we didn't get it then and there it was heading West with nothing to stop it until it ran out of fuel. Which is more than one thinks in the desert.

[Jasonmc73]

I seen the result of weekend warrior whom decided to backburn.

Funny now

What he did was got his New compact tractor with deck & mowed the fire out in panic.

The idea does have merit i suppose

The fire brigade did save the day & machine mostly, there was melted bits & paint damage

I guess we may have all seen the firiey's at shows demonstration with lounge foam/ car seat etc, i've showed my kids few times you tube to understand down on ground & go, but it does it no justice & always meant to, never actually have physically demonstrate as its something that gives one a far higher level of understanding of what will happen.

The heat is incredible & one thing, the amount fo black toxic smoke & speed its produced, amount is next level.