In today’s world, there are many products that can help us keep safe and react as soon as an accident occurs. The fire blanket is one of the products that will make the difference between reacting right away and stopping the flames from spreading, and your home getting fully damaged from the fire. In this article, we are going to help you learn how to use this unit, and we will give you some tips for putting out a fire with a fire blanket. Keep on reading to find out how to properly position it, how to ensure your safety, and how to get the flames out with ease.
1. Store it in an accessible and safe area
The first thing you need to do if you want to use this unit properly is to keep it in a safe place, and always store it away from devices and places that could catch on fire. This means that if you are storing it in the kitchen, you should never put it in a cupboard that is right next to the oven or the stove. Keep it away from any sources of heat, and place it in an accessible area where you could reach it with ease.
Note that you should keep this unit in a place where small children or pets will not be able to get it and play with it, and on the same note, you should not place it somewhere that would take you minutes to reach. You should not put it in the back of the cupboard, and you should never place items in front or on top of it.
2. Pull the handles to open the blanket
If you ever need to use the fire blanket, you should pay attention to the instructions of use. You should read this part before you need to use the unit, as taking your time to just get acquainted with the product may result in serious damage to your property. So, as soon as you purchase the item, you should see how it works and if there’s anything specific that you need to do.
In some cases, the blanket will be just like a normal one, and you will just need to open it up without doing anything else. Nevertheless, most units come with handles, and you need to use these handles to open the unit, and to hold on to them when you use them. To open it up, you will just need to pull on the handles that are usually placed on the bottom of the package, and the blanket will open up.
3. Always turn off the source of heat
Note that before using the blanket, you should try and turn the source of heat off. This will help you manage the fire with ease, and there will be no new flames forming. You can use the blanket to cover yourself and close the source of heat, but if you cannot do this, then you should not risk burning yourself.
According to ADL Insulflex, you can use other products including the fire sleeve to add an additional layer of protection, and depending on what you want to do, you can use different products to help you with protection or to turn off the sources of heat.
4. Make sure you protect yourself
Now that you’ve opened up the product and the heat is off, the next thing you need to do is protect yourself so that you can safely tackle the fire. You should make sure that your hands are covered, and you should never go near the fire if your skin is exposed.
In case you don’t have enough time to put extra clothes on, or if you don’t have fire-safe gloves, then you should hold on to the handles of the blanket to stay safe. You have to do this because if you injure or burn yourself, you will not be able to take the fire out. Always use the blanket as a barrier between you and the fire, or just you and the heat.
5. Tackle the fire in one swift motion
Once you are sure that all of your skin is covered, and that you won’t get burnt if you come close to the flames, you need to properly position the unit to ensure that the fire is going to be taken out right away.
You should never start extinguishing the flames from too far away, and you should not just throw the blanket on the fire. Make sure that the unit is not placed too high up, and on the same note, that it is not too low. You should not hold it in a way that would prevent you to see what you are doing, and you should never let it drag on the floor and end up tripping you.
Experts suggest that you should try and put the blanket on the fire in just one quick motion since moving it may cause the flames to spread.
6. Don’t remove the blanket right away
After you put the unit on the flames, and once you can see that the fire is starting to get extinguished, you should not move the blanket right away. The best way to ensure that it is going to do its job is to leave it for at least thirty minutes on the place where the fire was.
Once again, it is crucial for the source of heat to be turned off, since you don’t want the blanket to catch on fire as well. Don’t let fresh air in under the unit, and don’t move it around. If there are still flames around it, and if the fire is not completely put out, you can use a second blanket to finish the job, or you can just call the fire department.
Using this type of unit can make the difference between the flames spreading everywhere in your home, and the fire is put out before it does serious damage. Note that even though these blankets are perfect, they are not made for really big fires, and they may do more harm than good if the fire is too big for the unit. You should always practice safe use, and you should talk to your family members about what to do and how in case an accident occurs.
