Fire blankets can be used to cover a small fire in order to deprive it of oxygen and smother the fire. If you do install a fire blanket, mount it next to a fire extinguisher and check that it meets the BS 65775 standards.
Fire extinguishers are very useful if installed in a kitchen, the source of most household fires. Check that the extinguisher complies with BS 5423. All general-purpose fire extinguishers are designed to tackle small fires. A fire extinguisher should never be used to extinguish a chip-pan fire. There are six specific kinds of fire extinguisher which are colour coded:
| Colour | Contains | Uses |
| Red | Water | Unsuitable for electrical equipment, chip pan fires, flammable liquids. It is only suitable for burning paper, wood, clothing, some furnishings and furniture. |
| Black | Carbon Dioxide | Unsuitable for use in confined spaces. It can be used for most fires. |
| Green | Vaporising liquid | As the fumes are poisonous, this type of extinguisher is unsuitable for use in confined spaces. It can be used for most fires. |
| Cream | Foam | Useful for fires containing flammable liquids. |
| White | Foam | Useful for fires containing flammable liquids. |
| Blue | Dry powder | This is the most popular and the safest type of extinguisher to use. It can be used on electrical equipment and flammable liquids. |
Our forum is the perfect place to ask questions and get help. Join us, post your question/comment now!