Do you carry a Fire Extibguisher in the car?

[Daffy D]

A recent news item about a couple of guys getting burnt to death while trapped in their car after an accident reminded me that I don't have a fire extinguisher in my car.

Back in Farang land I always had a couple of extinguishers fitted where I could reach them from the drivers seat but not having had a car here for many years until recently I overlooked this.

So just out of interest how many car owners/drivers have fire extinguishers fitted in their cars?

[WarpSpeed]

Used to, don't now, have a hatch, and actually had it before in my trunk when there mostly because I had an Lp tank but never really expected to need it on MY car anyway necessarily in that if there was a fire on my car I'd not be in it long enough to be seeking an extinguisher. I can't see how anyone could not get out unless trapped physically by some sort of accident or unconscious which in that case not sure how much good it would do me anyway? If a fire is so out of control that it is engulfing the cars passengers compartment a puny little extinguisher is not going to help a whole lot except in a very rare situation.

[IMHO]

I would, but a red cylinder placed anywhere where it'd be readily accessible in this case would totally destroy the interior aesthetics

Plus, I can just imagine all the jokes about my fear that my car is going to catch on fire...

[Daffy D]

When I was a kid way back in Farangland I had flash cars to impress the girls and never bothered with "wimp" stuff like fire extinguishers.

Since having grown up I always had utility type vehicles, Landies and estates, though they call them something different these days

A couple of fire extinguishers in those did not look too out of place.

They must be making cars differently these days. I consider my Toyota a utility vehicle but as "IMOH" says a couple of bright red cans marked FIRE would "destroy the interior aesthetics" - Don't know about "destroy" but they would certainly be noticeable.

What got me onto carrying fire extinguishers originally was a one of those consumer programs like Watchdog reporting that many car fires were caused not by gasoline but by brake fluid splashing on hot exhaust.

Seems that on many front end crashes the plastic master brake cylinder reservoir would break off and spill brake fluid on hot exhaust manifold and cause a fire.

Don't know if they make cylinder reservoirs tougher and brake fluid non-inflammable but that bit of information has stayed with me through the years.

[WarpSpeed]

How did you get to being "grown up" without an extinguisher? If you're ever likely to need one, it's more necessary in your silly and dangerous youth.

I was driving my race support truck once and I had several extinguishers in the side box of various volumes and came across another racing rig on the opposite side of the highway that had a trailer fire in it and the guy was trying to put it out or slow it until the F/D arrived. I stopped and ran across a busy highway with 2 of my biggest extinguishers, (the ones we keep track side in the pits during the race, 25#'ers) and the fire was all the way up in the front of his 20 foot trailer, it was full with equipment as they were moving their shop so he had to climb in quite far over a lot of stuff and was breathing this nasty thick smoke and the extinguisher chems so he was struggling for air and he had used up his own extinguishers right at a critical point of almost having it extinguished.

Anyway my timely arrival and 2 large extinguishers managed to save his trailer and all of his equipment as his had just barely knocked the fire down and it was making a come back with no F/D there yet just as I showed up. Afterwards he didn't even say thank you, ask my name? Who I was? where I came from? How to get in touch with me? Or even shake my hand, let alone offer to get my extinguishers refilled out of appreciation. I felt good that I helped out anyway but it left a bad taste in my mouth about helping people out, I would still do it again and have since but I just don't get people sometimes.. The cause of his fire turned out that he had a battery tip over and drop acid onto some motor oil and the reaction set it a blaze. I have to say it doesn't happen very often in racing it is quite rare, most people are always very appreciative when you help them out, I know I always was/am, he was a drag racer though maybe it's different in that sort of racing, but not in what I participate in.

Actually on thinking back that's not true either, it must have just been that one individual as I once had a ball hitch stolen off of my tow van and had no idea until I was loaded up and ready to leave at 1:00am to head for the track as I had some last minute car prep to tend to that had me behind. When I went to hook up the trailer I noticed the hitch had been lifted from the truck so no way to tow after all that and no chance of any open stores until well after I had to be at the track the next day. After a few choice swear words and threats against the life of thief and wishing them into other realms of the after life, I recalled that there was a drag racing shop a few doors down and they seemed to be preparing their car for the weekend too so they were there late as well.

I went down and told them my problem and they had a pretty good stash of steel laying around so they fabricated me a new neck for the ball and I had a spare ball, I insisted on paying them but they wouldn't have any of it so off I went in great appreciation albeit even later with a 1.5 hour drive still at hand. I didn't do great that weekend, had all sorts of dramas beginning with the last minute late night prep, the stolen hitch and delays, including requiring a new clutch but it was still one of my most satisfying weekends as I overcame so much to even get a result. I was only able to manage a 5th place it may have well been a win though where I was concerned because the clutch had crapped out during qualifying, took most of the night getting it changed, another late night. [but] such is racing for those of us who do it with limited budget and a passion not just pay others to arrive and drive. I had to start from the pits in dead last and in only 20 laps came through a 35 car field but also included another 25 cars of a lower class which also raced in a combined race with our group so I had to be happy with the end result.

I have to say some of my most enjoyable races began with starting in or near the back due to some mechanical mishap or something, passing so many cars is a hoot and you have little to lose going for it full out. When you're leading and come around to passing the back markers your back side puckers every person you pass as you're expecting one to take you out at any moment not paying attention to who's passing them as well as greater closing speeds and you have everything to lose, not as much fun, still fun just the same though.