18 Mar BTI Nº 231

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS FOR VEHICLES

Under Spanish law, it is not compulsory for private passenger vehicles to carry a fire extinguisher, but should the law be changed?

Although it is fairly rare for cars to spontaneously combust, we should nevertheless bear in mind that a vehicle has several potentially flammable elements. Therefore, to be prepared to react to any type of fire, it would be advisable to place a small fire extinguisher in the vehicle which, if necessary, can also be used to help other users in the event of a fire. It is worth remembering that the fiercest forest fire recorded in Spain in the summer of 2021 was caused by a broken-down vehicle that caught fire and, together with strong winds and high temperatures, led the blaze to spread over more than 12,000 hectares.

This tragedy could have been avoided simply by carrying a small extinguisher, which would have stopped the fire from propagating to neighbouring pastures.

Car safety experts recommend not only carrying a fire extinguisher in the vehicle, but also installing it in an easily accessible place, for example, under a seat, always securely fastened to prevent it from moving under hard braking or in a crash.

A reflection: “The fact that something is not compulsory does not exonerate us from applying common sense and responsibility……”.

QUIMICA 21, S.L.

AT THE VANGUARD OF FIRE FIGHTING SECTOR