Forums > Technical Discussion > safety

Posted: 8th Oct 2002
Fire extinguishers are bad to use on people, just to let you know.

Posted: 8th Oct 2002
I carry one at all times! I've done so ever since a wick of mine came loose and nearly scampered under a bush. I was realized then that, for as bad as that might have turned out, I was actually quite lucky...there's a 50% chance it could have rocketed into the sky instead of the ground.

true, they're bad to use on people but are invaluable for trees, houses, piles of oily rags, etc.

I use a wet towel for flaming people. and I want to get a first aid kit that be toted around with my gear as well. Saftey first people! we don't want to end up like this guy. --->

Posted: 8th Oct 2002
I'd personally rather be sprayed by a fire extinguisher than be burned alive.

Posted: 8th Oct 2002
I carry a fire extinguisher (suitable for all types of fire), an unbelievably expensive fire blanket, damp towel (not for use on people) and i put my fuel tin in a bowl of water with icepacks in it.

Then again, people expect that of me now too.

HoP Posting Guidelines
* Is it the Truth?
* Is it Fair to all concerned?
* Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
* Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?

Posted: 8th Oct 2002
okay let's get one thing straight. ABC fire extinguishers are a MUST. accidents happen and extinguishers set them right. never fire dance without one, people! even at home by yourself! a small accident at your fuel station becomes a tragedy if you have no extinguisher. and all fire dancers everywhere will suffer with you (or your audience, or whoever was nearby). suppose your wick flies off and lands in a rubbish pile or paint cans nextdoor, and by the time you get over the fence and there you have a decent fire on your hands. what do you do, yell at it? throw your towel on it and run? if you ever get to the point where you do a show the first thing the fire marshall will ask you isn't "can you do a btb weave?" it will be "how many ABC extinguishers do you have?"

second. in an emergency fire extinguishers are non toxic and CAN be used to put out someone if nothing else is available. it will just mean a little more scrubbing in the burn ward. yes, a fire towel or water is preferable, but let's not put out information that we're not sure about. just don't get the extinguisher too close, or i hear the pressurized air is real cold. but seriously, at that point, you just need to put out the fire fast.

-Such a price the gods exact for song: to become what we sing
-Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.
-When the center of the storm does not move, you are in its path.

Posted: 8th Oct 2002
okay i should rephrase that and say all NEW abc extinguishers are non toxic. i believe that the ones made a LONG time ago were not okay for use on skin, and that's where the "bad" information comes from. any extinguisher old enough to be toxic would not be sold today.

-Such a price the gods exact for song: to become what we sing
-Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.
-When the center of the storm does not move, you are in its path.

Posted: 18th Oct 2002
Heya - see this thread for more discussion on fire extinguishers, pros and cons, etc.
Fire Extinguisher thread

Posted: 20th Oct 2002
the very next thing I do when newbies light up through me is tell them to always have a SafEty...Really, fireplay is like word not just breath but an advocate vibration

Posted: 21st Oct 2002
I only burnt once without a fire extinguisher
and wouldnt you know it that was the night my fuel dump went up and gee to make matters worse
i was inside a screened porch in my own house.
Do I win idiot of the month yet ? I stand with
arashi an ABc is a MUST HAVE ITEM even know they
are very little use for what we do.When we burn at the beach that is all i take is one fair size
ABC and some commamdo cloth.But when i do a show inside I carry different gear and take trained people along with me > When I perform inside I carry a Abc a co2(they work great on fuel )and a compressed air/water one(they work great on people )you can find the fill with water and pump up with air type extinguishers on ebay all the time for like 30 bucks ..

arashi forgot one point in his posts when the fire marshell asks you about your gear and then drops to his kness in awe because of your btb weave.. he might ask how do you plan on using your extinguisher with your hands behind your back full of fire ? so just as importnat as your gear is someone who KNOWS and IS TRAINED
how yo use it

Thats my two cents worth and i have a dime :::smile::;
Riz

I have been cursed with the imagination to envision it all

Posted: 22nd Oct 2002
What fuel riz?

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]

Posted: 23rd Oct 2002
100% white gas.. but it gets worse ....I was using a plastic fuel jug .. after it melted
all of the fuel in the jug was on the floor
and on fire.. i had about a half a gallon of fuel
in the jug...after something like that happens you really think alot more about being safe.
and sometimes it is just better to be lucky then good..but NEVER skimp on being safe..

I have been cursed with the imagination to envision it all

Posted: 29th Oct 2009
I've always had an exstinguisher. Had to dispose of two of them cause they had lost their pressure and most places will not recharge a FE with a plastic cap. They don't reseal right. So if you have or plan to get an exstinguisher, ber sure that it has a metal cap. Not only can they be recharged, they won't break if dropped or bumped or whatever. You should make sure that you are fully prepared safetywise. Towel, FE, first aid. Especially if you're a solo performer. Hope for the best, prepare for the worse.

Posted: 10th Nov 2009
When I spin fire, I have a soaking towel with me and a bottle of water too. I have never had any issues and never had to use either of them, but it's good to have them there to be safe.

"We were making castles in the sand: Now we swim in the seas that swept them away"

Posted: 10th Nov 2009
I have a fire blanket for anything major and a wet towel for anything other than that.

This statement is false...?

Posted: 11th Nov 2009
Someone dropped a prop at greenbelt and fire service rushed in spraying extinguishers and all they did was make a mess, had no effect on the fire rope, Mark calmly walked up and dropped a fire blanket on it. Made me worry, the fire service reacting so wrongly. Could excuse them if a person had caught fire but a fueled wick vs dry powder...
we carry 2 ABC extinguishers, several wet towels and a fire blanket and one of our crew is in the fire service so does all the risk assessments properly, never discount a good risk assesment, if done properly there should be limited risk in the first place so even a dropped / thrown prop should land in a safe area.

A couple of balls short of a full cascade... or maybe a few cards short of a deck... we'll see how this all fans out.