A New York man says his house caught on fire due to a lawnmower battery. But he managed to quickly extinguish the flame due to two simple, life-saving purchases.
Preston Kincaid (@inspector_preston), who says he is an InterNACHI Certified Master Inspector, posted a video that received more than 864,000 views. In it, he explains how replacing his smoke detector and purchasing a specialized fire extinguisher helped him quickly put out a flame that could have destroyed his home and killed both him and his wife.
A House Fire Begins
During one fateful evening, Kincaid says he and his wife woke up to the sound of their smoke detector blaring. Kincaid says he immediately sat up, threw open his door, and saw that his entire hallway was filled with smoke.
He walked downstairs, to his home’s front door, he continues. The moment he touched the door’s handle, he says he realized it was hot. Despite this, he says he swung the door open, only to realize there were flames outside of his home.
“As I came out, the entire front door to our house was on fire,” he says. “The flames were shooting up and hitting the top of our… porch roof.”
Extinguisher Comes To The Rescue
Kincaid said he is very careful about fires. Years prior, he researched fire extinguishers and found a “Halon 1211.” The content creator says that in 1998, the particular fire extinguisher was banned. In actuality, new production of the agent inside the extinguisher was banned in 1994. Regardless, he found two on eBay. He purchased them, and he credits them with saving his life years down the line.
He says he quickly realized what started the fire: a battery for a “PowerSmart battery-powered electric lawnmower,” which was sitting next to his front door. So he quickly set about extinguishing the flame.
“It was almost amazing to watch,” Kincaid says. “This little 1-pound fire extinguisher put out that battery, and I was able to then throw a towel over it and throw it in the front yard and start dousing it with the garden hose and buckets of water that we had in the bathtub.”
The content creator says that if he hadn’t purchased the fire extinguisher and replaced his smoke detector, his house might not still be standing. He adds that the Halon 1211 fire extinguisher was more effective than a standard, everyday ABC one, which helped him quickly put out the flame.
Class ABC Fire Extinguishers Vs. Specialized Equipment
Most standard fire extinguishers in everyday homes are multipurpose; they can battle against paper, cloth, wood, trash, flammable liquid materials, and electrical equipment fires. But they aren’t built to handle certain metals or oils.
One commenter, who claimed to be a firefighter, explained further, “A standard ABC extinguisher is good for ABC fires, therefore good for most households,” the commenter said. “An ABC extinguisher works by coating the fire with the powder and the powder suffocates the fire. CO2 extinguishers are good for BC fires. They may put out an A fire but dissipate quickly and could leave embers.”
The commenter explained that for combustible metals (class D) and oil-based fires (class K), there are specialized fire extinguishers.
Additionally, there are extinguishers with specific gases and materials, such as the one Kincaid used. There are Halon extinguishers, for instance, which are specifically made to fight flammable liquid and electrical fires.
Swartz Fire & Safety Inc. adds that Class D fire extinguishers are specially made to smother fires with metal components in places where traditional, ABC fire extinguishers may not be as effective. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says that class K fire extinguishers work by “[discharging] a chemical that reacts with the cooking oil or fat to produce a soapy media that sits on top of the fuel and smothers the fire.”
Class D and class K fires both can rapidly grow when exposed to water, where traditional fires would be extinguished. That can make them dangerous for those who are unfamiliar with fire safety strategies. For that reason, both sites recommend that individuals not use water to extinguish oil-based or metal-based fires. Rather, it’s good to keep a specialized fire extinguisher on hand when handling metals, oil, and electrical equipment.
Are Batteries Bad News?
Outside of fire extinguisher recommendations, viewers recommended that everyday homeowners get fireproof storage for their batteries and electrical equipment. Additionally, viewers told homeowners not to charge lithium batteries overnight.
One commenter said, “Fire proof lithium battery storage containers! Highly recommend!”
Another commenter added, “I met a dude who is retired NYC fire captain and he keeps all his batteries in this fireproof box in his garage and will never charge them unless he is home because he’s seen so many fires from them.”
Then, a third added, “Batteries big or small, I NEVER charge them overnight or when I’m gone. I always have two fire extinguishers. fires are so scary! glad you’re okay!”
@inspector_preston I’m alive today because of two things that I’m going to tell you about. Please like and share this post. #homeinspection #housefire #fire
BroBible has reached out to Kincaid via email for comment.