Fire blankets are a cost effective, but often under-utilized tool for extinguishing small fires around the home. They work by cutting off the oxygen a fire needs to burn. When shopping for a fire blanket you will be faced with options ranging from the type and quality of flame resistant material used, to the size of the blanket itself, all of which will have an impact on its performance. We have done a lot of the research, and have narrowed it down to the best models currently on the market.
Fire Blankets on Amazon.com
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Fire Blanket Buying Guide
Fire blankets are fire resistant safety devices designed to smother small fires by cutting off their oxygen supply to immediately halt the chance of spreading. The blankets themselves are made of a fiberglass layer that has a fire-retardant sheet within it. Some fire blankets are reinforced with a special chemical that increases the flame resistance power of the overall blanket.
How to Use
When applying a fire blanket to a fire, be sure that it’s not only small enough to be contained by the blanket but that visible tags on the outer corners of the blanket are firmly held down to fully immerse the flame. A fire has a lot of opportunities to wreak havoc in small areas such as kitchens and classrooms caused by all types of things from grease fires to science lab mishaps. That’s why it’s a smart idea to keep a fire blanket close by in your house so that you can quickly react to anything that sparks up.
Effectiveness
Fire blankets are especially effective against clothing fires. Once you cover the blanket around you, start rolling back and forth to smother the flames. You should always use a fire blanket for grease or electric fires. Leave the fire blanket atop the grease fire to cease re-ignition, turn off the lights in the room and close the door behind you. From there you should contact the fire brigade.
Taking into account all of the reasons above, fire blankets also have a wide variety of other various benefits as well.
- You can react to a small fire much more effectively with a fire blanket versus a fire extinguisher
- Fire blankets can be cleaned and reused
- They are easy for anybody to use and do not require any traditional training
- Cheap and reliable, they can be found at almost any hardware store
- Storage of a fire blanket is simple because of its foldable and compact design
Multiple Uses
Although fire blankets are versatile for just about every small fire, there are those certain situations where it’s best to equip a fire extinguisher or call the local fire department. Some fires can be considered combustible, spreading very rapidly from flammable liquids, gas fires, or metal fires.
If a campfire were to start combusting and spread onto wood or grass around the area, this is where a fire extinguisher is far more suited to handle the task rather a fire blanket. Another example would be if a gas fire were to start from a flip lighter or gas tank, which would call for a fire extinguisher and in more serious situations the fire department.
National Fire Protection Association
A lot of older fire blankets have been discontinued and aren’t recommended for use by the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association). An example would be fire blankets that were made with asbestos fiber, which are highly flammable and very dangerous to put out a fire.
How can you tell a genuine from a phony fire blanket? It’s very important to inspect the fire blanket you buy to ensure it’s up to standards with BS EN1869. You can tell if a fire blanket is genuine if a British Standard Kitemark appears somewhere on the blanket.
Where to Buy
If you buy online be sure to check with BSI trusted website that sells fire blanket products. Brands such as First Alert and Pac-Kit are up to standards and have outstanding customer feedback for all of their products.
Luckily, fire blankets are always in supply in just about any DIY department store. They are very inexpensive as well, running you anywhere from $40 to $70, depending on the size and brand you decide to go with. It’s good to talk with an employee who is knowledgeable on the subject of fire blankets and which specific blanket they would recommend.
You can also buy fire blankets online but as mentioned about, be cautious. A faulty fire blanket could potentially cause more harm than good, so always be on the lookout for a little kite marking somewhere on the blankets outer layer when buying online.
There is no reason not to own a fire blanket simply because of how effective it is and how easy they are to find. Combining these blankets with other fire prevention devices such as fire alarms and fire extinguishers increase the odds of you containing a fire before it grows out of control.
Fires may not be as common in your life as you think, but when they do occur they can destroy almost anything as quickly as they started, so having every weapon available to defend yourself is key. Although you may never hope to use it, fire blankets can save your life. Read More https://homesafetydot.com/fire-safety/blanket/