patmax17 t1_j1y7s02 wrote on December 28, 2022 at 7:16 AM

Reply to comment by DoucheCanoeBruh in TIL that a typical fire extinguisher only lasts seconds while continuously being sprayed. A 20 pound extinguisher can only be sprayed for 25 seconds. by rtpkickballer

I'm a volunteer fireman. I'm also simplifying, but you usually don't need to spray a continuous stream of powder, bursts take away the oxygen and cover the burning surface. In addition to lasting a bit more, of course

Then again, there are a few misconceptions about fire extinguishers that come from films and movies: they're effective on small fires, to choke down a fire at the beginning, once the fire catches, you need other ways to fight it. And a lot of fires what can be extinguished with an extinguisher can be choked with a fire blanket. Which isn't as exciting to show in a TV show xD

DoucheCanoeBruh t1_j1yghj5 wrote on December 28, 2022 at 9:15 AM

ah, okay, I was fire warden on most sites I've worked, some sites required us to just expend the extinguisher in one go and if fire wasn't contained GTFO, but most were as you said, short bursts and sweep along the base of the fire.