We can take a lot of preventive measures so that this horrible car accident doesn’t happen in the first place. Ensuring regular car maintenance, safe driving, etc. are a few of them.
Still, it may happen at any time even though you may not be responsible for the accidents.
So, learning how to put out the fire yourself is very crucial. It may save your life and life of others. Pay attention to the following points:
Be Brave & Smart
Most of the time, car fires don’t happen momentarily. A set of chain reactions lead to this deadly incident.
If you smell something burning or notice any smoke coming from the hood, safely pull over your car to the side of the road to keep you and others safe.
Then shut off the engine to cancel the fuel flow. This will help tremendously to avoid a full-blown car accident.
Having A Fire Extinguisher
Till now, a fire extinguisher is still the best way and most effective measure to put out a fire. But we are talking about a car fire, not a kitchen fire.
So, traditional fire extinguishers are not recommended.
I am not saying they won’t put out the fire, they will create a mess afterward and severely damage the engine. There are particular fire extinguishers for cars available in the market.
They are more expensive than their traditional counterparts but extremely effective to put out the car fire.
Read more about such fire extinguishers.
Just having the fire extinguisher for the car is not enough. You have to learn how to use it.
I have seen a lot of people who don’t know how to use it. You gotta use it safely too.
Keep a safe distance from the fire. Then pull the safety pin off. Point the nozzle at the fire and start spraying. Do not forget to maintain your safe distance from the fire in any case.
Don’t let over-enthusiastic people gather around the fire too.
After you completely put out the fire, don’t forget to take photos for insurance purposes.
Get the incidents and damage reports from the firefighters as well.
Should You Do It Yourself Or Wait?
Remember, you should only attempt to put out the fire yourself when you have the fire extinguisher. Unless just leave the car and wait for help to arrive. There are some other factors to consider whether you should try it yourself. Have a look:
- You have the fire extinguisher for the car, safely reach it and you are 100% confident handling it properly.
- If the fire is already not nearby the fuel tank.
- If your car is run by LPG, take extra precautions as the gas cylinder may explode at any time. Proceed only if you can turn off the cylinder valve.
You have to be rationally confident if you try to do it yourself. If you smell fuel-burning smoke, or the fire is already out of control, and you have little children with you – do not try to put out the fire yourself.
Early Signs You Should Not Ignore
Like I said above, most of the time car fire does not happen momentarily. There will be several signs before it may happen. To stay safe and take measures ahead of the accidents, you should look out for the following signs:
- Any abrupt change in the levels of fuel or oil.
- Repeatedly blown fuses.
- The engine gets hot rapidly.
- From outside of the car, you notice fuel or oil leakage.
- You notice a burning smell or see smoke and flames.
You see any of the above signs, stop your car without any hesitation, and stop the engine. Even if it is a false alarm, I would be doing so again and again.
A false alarm is always better than ignoring a potentially dangerous fire accident.
On average, 33 car fires happen every hour just in the United States. You don’t have to trust me on this; that’s what the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) released in their recent report.
Surely that is alarming, but there is no point in being scared of your car.
Without a car, our modern busy life simply stops. But that’s not possible. Despite the chance of such horrible accidents, we have to carry on.
However, there are certain things that you can do to stay safe in your cars.
Last Words
There is nothing scarier than being caught in a car fire. Especially if you are on a highway or on a long-distance trip. Definitely what you have to do is to call 911 first.
The help will come but it will take some time.
You can take some active measures to put out the fire if you have a fire extinguisher in your car. Always carry one in your car.
