Know how to use your RV fire extinguisher and where to keep it!

Your RV fire extinguisher needs to be much more than just that red cylinder you hope never to touch. It is your best (and probably only defense) when a fire breaks out in your galley. That’s where most fires in an RV happen, so make sure you have the right one. rnA Class B extinguisher puts out flammable liquids and gasses such as oils, paints and lacquer. rnA Class C puts out electrical fires without causing sparks like water, and other extinguishers do. rnA Class K is designed to put out fires in appliances (ovens and stovetops) that use combustibles like cooking oils and fats like lard. rnThat means you need at least two extinguishers in your RV and another outside. Why three? Let’s start with the outside extinguisher. rnOne of the wonderful advantages to RV living is being able to set up outside and still have your indoor kitchen just a few feet away. Many RV parks have great pads adjacent to parking slots or nearby. It is possible to have the best of the grill and the oven on your table at the same time, just like in the backyard of a traditional home. rnNo matter how long you’ve been traveling and grilling, mistakes still happen. More than one person squirts in a little too much charcoal fluid which flares up and catches shirts or aprons on fire. Another problem, not as often, is when another traveler’s dog or kid runs through your area and knocks over the grill. You need to be able to put out the fire, or cool off the spilled coals, without wasting time running into your home and getting the extinguisher. rnThe reverse is true when you have to run into your RV after seeing smoke pouring out of a window. Hopefully, it is just the breakfast eggs burning in the pan, but you never want to walk into the RV without an extinguisher in your hands, especially when the one by the galley may be on the other side of the smoke and flames. rnThat is why the extinguisher you have in outside storage needs to have a multiple class rating so that you can use it on coals, ovens, and even the generator if needed. Trying to put out a kitchen fire with a Class B or C is not completely ineffective, but the chemicals may accidentally spread it. rnThat is why the Class K extinguisher inside your RV needs to be near the galley, not in the storage compartment over the convection/microwave oven. Mounted at eye level close to the door is a great location. A combination B:C extinguisher by an exit is mandatory as established by the National Fire Protection Agency. A little distance also helps to keep the initial spray in the right direction without getting too close and getting burned. rnJust remember one more thing: Get everyone out before doing anything else. Nothing in an RV is more valuable than the travelers who use it. rnLive well and travel well; make certain you do it in an RV!