Fire extinguisher by your press?

[strat81]

Do you keep a fire extinguisher by your press? Is there a smoke alarm in your reloading area? I was thinking about this today since I only have one fire extinguisher in the house and it's in the kitchen while my press is in the basement. I'm thinking I should pick up two more - one for the bedroom and one for the reloading area.

 

[TonyDedo]

Cheap insurance - I have a shop quality fire extinguisher (less than $50) about 5 feet from my bench, and a smoke alarm ($5) on the ceiling about 3 feet away. I can't imagine how I might start a fire while reloading, but it's nice to have there just in case.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Extinguisher in the den about 20 ft away. I wouldn't want one in the Gun/reloading Room. I find it very difficult to set a fire in there as I keep it clean and electrical equipment are kept unplugged when not in use... Nor do I have a smoke alarm in the room either. It's outside the door in the hall about 4 ft away. Where it can be heard as I keep the Gun/reloading Room door closed at all times...

 

[armoredman]

Smoke detector in room, fire extiguishers located in many places. Burning to death is NOT a career choice for me.

 

[Walkalong]

Smoke alarm in the hall outside my reloading room. Fire extinguisher in the kitchen nearby, but not in the room.

 

[Linear Thinker]

Yes to both. All the smoke detectors in the house are daisy-chained, it was not a big wiring job.
It would be foolish not to have every possible precaution. I saw a range fire once, the powder residue in the vent ducts caught a spark somehow. A single event learning experience for me.
LT

 

[Mal H]

Yes, and yes.

I only have one fire extinguisher in the house ...

I think I have you beat by about 1000%. Fire extinguishers are relatively cheap when you consider what they can do for you. Good home insurance pays for your losses; fire extinguishers can prevent them. I don't plan on having to remember where the fire extinguisher is when a fire happens to break out, I know there's one within about 30 feet no matter where I am in the house. I have several types - standard ABC mostly, but also halon in the basment where there is oil and K in the kitchen.

The reloading room is one of the most logical places to have an extinguisher. Also, if you plan on putting one there (or in any room) be sure it is at or outside the door. You don't want to fight any flames to get to it.

 

[Master Blaster]

yep, and by my stove in the kitchen, and by the cars in the garage

 

[JoeHatley]

Do you keep a fire extinguisher by your press? Is there a smoke alarm in your reloading area?

Yes and yes.

Joe

 

[scout26]

Fire extingushers in the kitchen, garage(x2), basement laundry/utility room and hall closet. Also have one in each car. (At a previous job, I worked in a warehouse and when the company moved to CA, they sold me about 30 ABC extingushers for a $1 a piece. Kept a few and gave the rest to my shooting club.)

Smoke and CO detectors in each bedroom, hallway, living room and basement/utility room.

Reloading is done either in the garage (summer) or basement/utility room (winter).

 

[ftierson]

I have a smoke detector on the ceiling above my reloading bench and a fire extinguisher attached to one the the reloading bench legs and another fire extinguisher mounted on the end of a bookshelf about four feet from the reloading bench...

For what it's worth...

Forrest

 

[Walkalong]

I have several types - standard ABC mostly, but also halon in the basment where there is oil and K in the kitchen.

You probably already know this, but, for those who do not. Halon is awesome for putting out fires and will "run" up in a wall to get to fire, but it works by displacing oxygen and will sufocate you if you are not carefull. Be very carefull using Halon in tight places with no ventilation.

 

[Sunray]

For the boudoir, sure. There's really no point in your loading room. Smokeless powder burns extremely fast. If by some horrible quirk of fate, you have a fire in your loading room, just get out.

 

[Mal H]

You probably already know this ...

I do, and you're right, you should know the nature of any and all chemicals used for or on a fire. Some extinguishers can make matters worse rather than better if used improperly or on the "wrong" type of fire.

There's really no point in your loading room.

I'm afraid your logic escapes me. If some powder burns, we should just get out and hope for the best? Is there no chance that something else might catch fire that we might be able to extinguish?

Maybe your point is that no common fire extinguisher will put out a powder fire, and that even if it could, you wouldn't be able to react fast enough. I agree with those points. Even halon would be more useless that plain old water. However, once the powder has all burned up, don't you suppose something else might have caught fire that is a slower burner and can be extinguished? Are you going to run to the boudoir to retrieve your one extinguisher only to give the fire a minute more to burn? You might be amazed at what a fire can do in one minute - it all depends on the location of the fire and its surroundings.

 

[davinci]

You do realize that your breaker panel is a lot more likely to start the home on fire than your reloading equipment? I really don't htink you've got a real risk of fire in your reloading room any more than you do from having a stack of newspapers or aerosol cans stacked neatly.

You need an ignition source to start a fire. Sure, you've got two elements there, a flammable substance and oxygen, but so does the gas tank on your car and if that finds even static you're probably not going to make it out alive.

Definitely, install a halon system in your car and put a fire extinguisher in there too.

 

[Linear Thinker]

Don't ask, just buy a few and keep them around the house and at least one in your car(s). There's no downside, and a huge upside.
LT

 

[sublimaze41]

Absolutely,
cheap insurance and peace of mind!

 

[BBA]

Keep your extingiuhers near an exit door, not near the most likely fire prone area. If you keep one next to the stove, you won't reach past a raging grease fire to use it without getting burned. Next to the exit you can decide wether to go back and fight the fire or leave and call for help.