FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — When roommates Zamario Cooper and Andrew Vasquez encountered a fire in the kitchen of their home Dec. 4 in St. Robert, a little training they recently received at work went a long way toward saving their home and possessions from destruction.
Cooper and Vasquez, who work at the Bldg. 908 dining facility here and have been roommates for nearly four years, were both home when the fire broke out. Cooper said he was preparing some pork chops. He went outside with some friends, and when he came back in, he noticed a grease fire had started — he immediately ran to get his roommate, who was on another floor of the home.
“When I came back, it was rising,” Cooper said. “I ran back — called 9-1-1.”
By then, Cooper said the flames were already reaching the ceiling, and that’s when he retrieved the fire extinguisher the two had recently purchased after attending fire prevention training at work, put on by the Fort Leonard Wood Fire Department — Cooper credited their trainer that day, Fire Inspector Roy Conner, with convincing them of the necessity of owning a fire extinguisher.
Vasquez said as soon as he had the extinguisher in his hands, the training came back to him.
“That stuff popped in my head — sweep the fire, from the base of the fire; keep spraying it, don’t turn your back on the fire, things like that,” Vasquez said. “That fire extinguisher is what really saved us.”
“The training came in clutch,” Cooper added.
According to Fort Leonard Wood Fire Chief Brad Bowling, the roommates’ proper use of their fire extinguisher potentially saved the home.
“By responding with the extinguisher, (their) actions prevented the fire from growing and spreading to the rest of the house,” Bowling said.
Vasquez said people think something like this won’t happen to them, but having a plan will keep a bad situation from getting much worse.
“Every time someone asks me about (the fire), I definitely say to them, ‘Do you have a fire extinguisher? If you don’t, you need to get one,’” Vasquez said.
Cooper said he learned a few things from the experience.
“It could’ve got really ugly for us,” he said. “What I learned is to not panic — and if you’re cooking, pay attention.”
Tips for purchasing and using a fire extinguisher
Conner said there are three things to consider when choosing a fire extinguisher for a residential home — the first being what hazards are present in the home.
“Certain areas, you might need a bigger-classification fire extinguisher than in other areas,” he said.
The second thing to consider is how many floors the home has, Conner said.
“The National Fire Protection Agency recommends you have at least one fire extinguisher on each floor in your home,” he said. “They also recommend that you have one in each of the high-hazard areas of your home. Those areas are the kitchen, garage and workshop.”
Lastly, Conner said there are many types of fire extinguishers, so it’s important to learn more about what type is needed.
“You can cover most hazards with an A-B-C fire extinguisher,” he said. “The A part is for paper products; the B part is for flammable liquids; and the C part is for electrical fires. Then, there are certain ratings levels from there. The ones we use and recommend here at Fort Leonard Wood are 4A60BC. The higher the number near each group of letters means the more area the extinguisher can handle during use.”
When Conner provides training, he asks people to remember not to assume a fire has been extinguished.
“Once you think you have the fire out, do not turn your back on it, as it can activate again,” he said. “Alert everyone in your home to get out and stay out, contact the fire department and wait for them to show up and check to make sure the fire is out.”
Conner said fire can travel and extend inside the walls.
“You may not see, so always have the fire department come and check, because they have specialized equipment that aids them in looking for fire extension,” he said.
As for the grease fire Cooper and Vasquez experienced, Conner said if it’s possible to safely shut off the burner without injury, do so. The same safety principle goes for the fire — if possible, attempt to cover the grease fire with something larger, like a cookie sheet.
“Let the grease cool down, then dispose of it properly,” he said. “If you move it while it is still hot, you take a chance of it catching fire and you can spread that fire throughout your home as you try to move it outside, creating a bigger problem.”
Holiday fire safety tips
Conner also offered some fire safety tips for the holidays, noting Christmas and New Year’s are the most common times of the year for home candle fires.
“When it comes to candles, don’t allow children to keep or use candles in their rooms,” he said. “Never use candles on or near a Christmas tree or other holiday evergreens. If you leave the room with a candle lit, blow it out and relight it when you are in the room again. Never leave an open flame unattended in your home.”
A good alternative, Conner advised, is to use battery-operated flameless candles.
When it comes to holiday trees — real or artificial — Conner said to unplug or turn off the lights when going to sleep.
“While it may look pretty, no one is around to see it and it may short out in the middle of the night,” Conner said.
Anyone with a real tree in their home should also make sure to check the water level at least twice a day to keep the tree from drying out and becoming “a fire waiting to happen.”
Conner also advised looking for flame-retardant or non-flammable holiday decorations, and to check lights each year for frayed wires or excessive wear — and don’t link more than three strands of lights together.
Read this article for more information on preventing tree fires in the home over the holidays.
The Fort Leonard Wood community is encouraged to call the installation’s Fire Prevention Section at 573.596.0886 with any questions regarding fire or home safety.
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