After a very busy Fire Season so far, the team are grateful for the current calm while their focus shifts to their official training season starting again in May.
Shifts continue to be planned with crew on a standby roster throughout the week. The team remains vigilant and on call.
We are also thrilled to welcome two new full-time members to our team, bringing the number of full time crew to nine.
Once again, we are grateful that our roads have remained safe over the last month, with no fires to respond to either.
TYPES OF FIRE EXTINGUISHERS AND THEIR USES IN MORE DETAIL:
Water fire extinguishers (red label)
Water extinguishers are only used for Class A fires. Therefore, red coded extinguishers can be used to tackle fires caused by ignited paper, wood, straw, coal, rubber, solid plastics and soft furnishings. Water fire extinguishers work by spraying water from the spray nozzle, which helps to cover a larger surface area. They are the simplest, most common and least expensive type of extinguisher. Some have an additive to make the water more effective and reduce the required size and weight of the extinguisher – these are a little more expensive.
Water extinguishers are the easiest to maintain and the least hazardous, since they only contain water. They cool the fire by soaking it and the materials with water. This extinguishes the flames, absorbing heat from burning objects.
They are often found in shops, offices, retail premises, schools, hotels, warehouses and domestic premises. They may have spray or jet nozzles and are usually able to put out a fire completely. A drawback is that they cannot be used on burning fat or oil (Class F), burning metals (Class D), burning liquids (Class B) or electrical appliance fires.
Foam extinguishers (cream label)
The foam smothers the fire in solids and liquids (Class A and B), but not in burning fats or cooking oils (Class F), so foam fire extinguishers are used on burning liquids such as petrol, paint or turpentine. A foam extinguisher can also be used on some electrical fires if they have been tested and if fired from 1 metre away. However, they leave a residue that has to be cleaned up.
Dry powder extinguishers (blue label)
Powder fire extinguishers are used for fighting burning solids, liquids and gases (Class A, B and C fires). Specialist powder extinguishers are designed to tackle type D fires involving combustible metals such as lithium, magnesium or aluminium.
They work by the powder forming a crust which smothers the fire and stops it from spreading.
Disadvantages are that the powder does not soak into materials and does not have an effective cooling effect on the fire, which can result in the fire re-igniting. The powder is hazardous if inhaled, so they should be used in well-ventilated areas and are not suitable for offices and domestic premises. The powder damages soft furnishings, machinery etc. and needs a lot of cleaning up after use. They cannot be used on chip pan fires (Class F).
CO2 extinguishers (black label)
These contain only pressurised carbon dioxide gas and therefore leave no residue. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) extinguishers are used on fires involving burning liquids (Class B), and electrical fires, such as of large computer equipment, so are practical in offices. CO2 works by suffocating the fire and does not cause damage to the electrical items or cause the system to short circuit.
However, CO2 extinguishers get very cold during discharge, and those that are not fitted with double-lined, frost-free swivel horns may cause fingers to freeze to the horn during deployment. They can asphyxiate in confined spaces, and they are not suitable for deep fat fryers, as the strong jet from the extinguisher can carry the burning fat out of the fryer. Fires can quickly re-ignite once the CO2 has dissipated into the atmosphere, so they do not offer post-fire security.
Wet chemical extinguishers (yellow label)
These are the only extinguishers apart from water mist suitable for Class F oil fires (fats and cooking oils) and are mainly used in kitchens with deep fat fryers. They can also be used on Class A and some can be used on Class B fires. They consist of a pressurised solution of alkali salts in water which, when operated, creates a fine mist, cooling the flames and preventing splashing.
ARE YOU FIRE WISE?
Follow this link to download the Fire Wise Booklet which is full of great tips and important information: https://bettysbayratepayers.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/WCG-Wild-Fire-Ready-Booklet-13082020-.pdf
Report fire and emergencies immediately.
Always phone – no WhatsApp messages AND no WhatsApp calls
YOUR IMPORTANT NUMBERS – load them into your phone NOW!
028 312 2400 ALL Fire & Emergency – yes, you can use this number to report a fire, an accident, or ANY emergency.
028 313 8980 Fire reporting
072 616 8418 Betty’s Bay Fire Volunteers – NO WhatsApp (calls or messages) ONLY standard calls
SUPPORT THE VOLUNTEERS: If you would like to join our team or support us in any way, please contact Jorika on 072 616 8418.
Should you wish to contribute funds or donations towards a fire & rescue emergency response vehicle you can deposit into the following bank account:
Bank details:
- Name: Betty’s Bay Ratepayers Association
- Bank: ABSA
- Bank: Hermanus
- Account: 4066 616 439
- Reference: FIRE +Your surname
N.B Please clearly mark the reference FIRE as BBRA are custodians for several organizations in Betty’s Bay and they need to allocate the funds accordingly.
FOLLOW US on FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php id=100064379211431
Thank you for your ongoing support and donations.
Until our next update, enjoy the sunshine and stay Fire Wise!
Jorika Rabie