Note to Self: Pick up a fire extinguisher (or two or three)

Speak Schmeak - A lesson in fire safety

“Tonight as we sat watching TV, we heard a big boom that blew open the doors under the kitchen sink.

As we were bending down looking into the cabinet, trying to figure out what happened, fumes (that we later learned were from a rusty spray paint can that had exploded) traveled across the floor to the oven and to the pilot light, causing a fireball to burst out of the oven, burning us both.

We're okay. :-)

…

So here's what we learned:

1. Don't keep old, rusty cans of solvents and spray cans in the kitchen. Get rid of anything that's corroded, and especially corroded and flammable. It was the pressure inside the weakened can that caused it to burst. Add a nearby pilot light and you've got the "perfect storm."

2. Keep the fire extinguisher OUTSIDE of the kitchen so you don't have to run THROUGH the fire to get to it.

…”

Wow, I’m glad she and her family (and kitties) are all okay (well as “okay” as can be given the circumstances).

But her post got me thinking… If this happened to my family, where are our fire extinguishers? Oh… I don’t think we have any… Doh! I’m fricken prepared for the aftermath of a major earthquake (or so I like to think) but not for smaller emergency like this? Double-doh!

Lowes, here I come.