Fire

Home Depot will be carrying this swank Fire Extinguisher at the end of the year. As a qualifier - I have not seen it in person and it may be a piece of junk, but the design and philosophy appear promising. You may think a fire extinguisher is easy to use, but I can attest that they are not. Having worked in factories with alcoholics, I have had more than my share of experiences with fire extinguishers. There are different classes of equipment, I have cut and pasted a good guide below.

• Class A extinguishers are for ordinary combustible materials such as paper, wood, cardboard, and most plastics. The numerical rating on these types of extinguishers indicates the amount of water it holds and the amount of fire it can extinguish.
• Class B fires involve flammable or combustible liquids such as gasoline, kerosene, grease and oil. The numerical rating for class B extinguishers indicates the approximate number of square feet of fire it can extinguish.
• Class C fires involve electrical equipment, such as appliances, wiring, circuit breakers and outlets. Never use water to extinguish class C fires - the risk of electrical shock is far too great! Class C extinguishers do not have a numerical rating. The C classification means the extinguishing agent is non-conductive.
• Class D fire extinguishers are commonly found in a chemical laboratory. They are for fires that involve combustible metals, such as magnesium, titanium, potassium and sodium. These types of extinguishers also have no numerical rating, nor are they given a multi-purpose rating - they are designed for class D fires only.

I live in an apartment building, so my risk is compounded by the idiocy of my neighbors. Once, a grease fire raged while a tenant called her landlord to ask him what to do. She left him a message and I called 911 (she has since moved incidentally). We renewed our focus then and steps were taken to counter not-well-educated-ness. You can't turn around without seeing fire extinguishers now and I have banned those halogen lamps that were burning up dorm rooms.

Safety equipment for the home was long a backwater of design, the emphasis being on functionality and style be damned. However, in an age of rampant vainglory most kitchens have teeny fire extinguishers in the way back under the sink, and it probably isn't charged enough to put out a cigarette. Fancying up the look and making it easier to use for the less-well-educated among us can only be a benefit.