You must know where to buy fire blanket and stack up supplies in case the worst happens. Not only does fire outbreaks cost a lot of money in damage, but it can also take lives. Fire blankets can battle fire and stifle it before this happens.
Where To Purchase Fire Blankets
Physical ones like hardware stores sell fire blankets. These days, you can also order them online for convenience. Often they come with several products in a survival kit, but you can purchase one separately if that suits your needs.
How Fire Blankets Work
All fires, big and small, need the fire triangle—oxygen, heat, and fuel. Take out any of the three, and the fire will go out. A fire blanket accomplishes this task by smothering the fire and cutting off its oxygen source.
To use a fire blanket, one must place it directly above a fire to cover it. As such, it only works on small-scale fires, like accidental ignitions in the kitchen. If you deem the fire too big to manage, it’s better to handle it with a fire extinguisher or alert the nearest fire department.
As for the material, fire blankets commonly use fibreglass since it’s very light. Blankets of this kind are the ones found at home. Other types, such as welding fire blankets, have unique materials to cater to higher temperatures.
Fire blankets are considered next in line to preventive measures. You can use it in case of an emergency by placing it near a stove. Typically, they come in plastic parcels, so it’s easy to store them inside drawers for easy access.
When To Use Fire Blankets
You can put out fire breakouts with a blanket, or you can wrap yourself with it during an actual fire. Just as how they take on small patches of fire, blankets withstand the heat to prevent it from reaching your skin.
Before you grab the blanket, you must check if the gas or electric supply fuels the fire. Do this right away lest the fire grows and you can’t reach the stove anymore. If the fire doesn’t die down on its own, then you can proceed with using the blanket.
Benefits Of Using Fire Blankets
Most fire blankets don’t need formal training to use, so they’re accessible for almost everyone. On their first encounter, adults can figure it out quickly, and children can learn instinctively. You can consult the instruction manuals available in the wrapper, so don’t throw them away.
For minuscule fires, a fire blanket will work most of the time. Fire extinguishers may or may not work since replacing them is a task that is often neglected. A blanket, however, is always ready to use.
Electrical fires are so much harder to put out than regular ones. Sparks can get in the way of extinguishing the fire. Since fires spread rapidly, using a fire blanket to subdue the flame can catch quickly.
Outdoor fires are dangerous because of the seemingly inexhaustible supply of oxygen. As such, you must control them before it gets out of hand. To avoid this, you can always carry fire blankets inside your bags.
Fire blankets, although small for adults, can wrap children and infants inside an engulfed space. Newborns, especially, are much more vulnerable, and so you must prioritize them in an emergency. Having fire blankets ready at hand can give you peace of mind.
Finally, fire blankets are relatively cheaper in the market. Among many choices of fire management, blankets are the cheapest one since they can only manage small fires. In comparison to the incurring damages, fire blankets are sound investments.
Where should I use fire blankets?
Every person must keep a supply of fire blankets at their home. There must be at least one blanket for each member of the family. Also, it would be best if you oriented each of them where you store the blankets, so they know where to retrieve them.
Where should you store them?
Most fires start in the kitchen, so people commonly store them someplace reachable. If you want to be efficient and factor out risks, keeping them near exit areas is a smart move. Refrain from placing them at the back end of cupboards since it’s hard to reach.
Do fire blankets have asbestos?
Not all of them, but older models did. In 1989, there was a ban on products containing asbestos because of the lung diseases it caused. At the time, it was typical for fire blankets to have asbestos.
So, if you have old fire blankets, you must draw precautions. You can contact a specialist on asbestos removal to remove all suspicions. If the blankets have asbestos, you must get rid of them immediately.
Conclusion
Part of your safety plan is knowing where to buy fire blanket, storing them properly, and being ready to use them when the time comes. Whether you worry for your family or you manage a restaurant constantly set alight on fire, safety is a must. Between fire extinguishers and fire blankets, there is no superior one, but a blanket is much more straightforward.