What Should You Do If Your Car Catches Fire?

Car on fire

Almost every driver had to resort to help of the best fire extinguisher for car at some point of life. In fact, more than half of cases of car ignition occur because of technical reasons – due to improper exploitation or installation of additional equipment. And the probability of such cases depends not on whether how old the car is but on its overall condition and maintenance. About 14% of fires occur due to the careless handling of fire, most often due to smoking.

To prevent the lire emergency (they make up about 5% of all the cases of car fires) you can only act globally: keep the car in a closed parking lot, and try not to make enemies. Nevertheless, what to do when car catches fire? And how it is possible to prevent it?

How To Avoid A Car Fire

  1. Remove all the excess items from the engine compartment.
  2. Ensure that the fuel and oil systems are sealed. The rainbow spots under your car on the parking lot can serve as a signal for contacting the car service.
  3. The fuel canisters must be locked in the trunk.
  4. The battery should be firmly fixed in its place to prevent sparks when there are strong vibrations.
  5. If the machine has stood motionless for a long time, it’s necessary to check the integrity of the wiring and the impermeability of the systems.
  6. Wash any fuel or flammable liquids from the car body. Do not use such liquids when rubbing away stains.
  7. Do not carry flammable liquids in the cabin near the electrical outlets or connectors for hooking up to electronics.
  8. There are autonomous fire extinguishing systems that are installed under the hood and work up immediately at high temperatures.

How To Behave When Car Catches Fire

  1. Stop the car and turn off the engine.
  2. Get out of the car and disembark the passengers, making sure that they have moved a safe distance (at least 32 inches).
  3. Call 911.
  4. If the fire is small, use a fire extinguisher (while the fire is in the smoldering stage), or cover it with the insulating material to limit the access of oxygen. You can use thick clothes for this.
  5. If the fire has started in the engine compartment and you can’t determine how strong it is, don’t lift the hood lid to see what is happening there. You will provide a powerful influx of air and the fire will flare up stronger. It’s better not open and wait for the help at a safe distance. When trying to self-extinguish a fire under the hood, you need to lift it a little bit (not opening it completely), while holding a fire extinguisher at the ready, and push it into the formed gap to send a stream of the fire extinguisher in the direction of the intended fire source. In this case, it is better to wait for someone’s help.
  6. If the fire has started in the cabin, do not open the windows and doors without need: the flame can die out from a lack of oxygen and go into a smoldering stage.
    Do not attempt to put out a large fire by yourself.
  7. If it is impossible to eliminate the flame, you need to move away from the car on fire to a safe distance (at least 32 inches) since the fuel tank may explode. There should be no people within the danger zone.
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