14 - Friday, June 15, 1990 - North Shore News LIFESTYLES HOME & GARDEN Lirestyies Of ganize Dad for Father's Day | Home fire extinguisher can save family, home A HOME fire extinguisher can save you, your family and your home. But there are two big ifs: If you know when to use it, and if you know how to use it. To fight or not fight a fire--that is sometimes a tough question. To begin with, you should not at- tempt to put out a fire that is beyond the capability of your ex- tinguisher. The typical household extinguisher is not meant for con- fiagrations that involve half a room. Secondly, you should not spend time fighting a fire unless you’re absolutely certain that you can safely do so. If.in doubt, alert everyone to get out of the house first. A good solution is to have one member of the family fight the fire while another sees that everyone is out of the house and then calls the fire department. But the hard decision is whether to take time to use your extin- guisher before phoning for help. If you can get to your extinguisher in five seconds, it will only take you about another 10 to shoot the contents into the blaze. So, in less than 15 seconds you will have had your crack at the fire. Hopefully, by that time it will be out. If it isn’t, you haven’t lost much time in getting the fire department. But those can be a precious 15 seconds. The type of fire you en- counter may make your decision for you. Fer instance, a smoulder- ing fire will take some time to blaze, but a dry Christmas tree can be totally involved in seven seconds. Sometimes people who have an extinguisher in the home overlook two other ways to put out a fire. One is to cool the flame with water and the other is to smother the blaze with a lid, a rug or something which will blanket the fire. Just about any extinguisher you purchase for home use will be fill- ed with a dry chemical. This finely powdered agent is excellent for snuffing out flammable liquid and electrical fires. Dry chemical will put out a flaming pan of grease, but so will a lid. You can use some dry chemical extinguishers on blazing wastepaper, but you will do as well or better with a pitcher of water. So, if a cigarette Basil in pots best From page 13 leaves are a shiny, mid-green, very aromatic and flavorful. There are several interesting and worthwhile forms of the above. Cinnamon, Lemon, and Licorice Basii all have slightly altered scents that are mindful of the tastes for which they were named. Lettuce-leaf basi! has attractively crinkled foliage. The dwarf form, o. basilicum ‘Minimum’, also known as Greek or bush basil, is more reliable in cooler weather but still not to be trusted. It is not as strong a flavor as its larger-leaved cousin but its compact habit makes it a better candidate for container growing. The rich purple-red leaves of Opal Basil, o. 6. ‘Purpurescens’, not only add a mild flavor to cu- linary dishes but make them (and the herb garden) decidedly more attractive. These handsome plants are widely used as ornamentais in the annual flower bed. starts a fire in the bathroom wastebasket, don’t run downstairs for the extinguisher — use the water that’s close at hand. LEAVE YOURSELF AN OUT The person who uses a fire ex- tinguisher in the home will in most cases be using an extin- guisher for the first time. And that person is likely to be a Hort Tips North Vancouver District Fire Department woman, because women discover and put out most fires, a study by the U.S. Department of Com- merce shows. But women, according to another study by a fire extin- guisher committee of The Na- tional Fire Protection Association, have a tendency to stand back too far when fighting a fire, while men usually get in too close. No matter who uses the extin- guisher, it’s important not to get boxed in. ALWAYS LEAVE AN ESCAPE ROUTE OPEN Aim your extinguisher at the base of the fire, not at the smoke or flame. Use a side-to-side mo- tion, sweeping back and forth. When fighting flammable liquids such as paint thinners, stand back six to eight feet or the force of the discharge may splash the fire into other areas. Check deep inside upholstery and bedding for smouldering. When you think the fire is out, puil apart the burned area to get at hot spots and shoot again. Follow up with water. Call the fire department and have them check it out; upholstery often rekindles, perhaps hours later. Fire extinguisher mechanisms may work a little differently. You and your family should be famil- iar with the operating instructions on the extinguisher. Also take the time to read the more detailed in- formation provided with most units. A fire extinguisher should be in an accessible place and near a room exit that provides an escape route. Locate yours convenient to fire hazard areas such as the kitchen range, but not so close that if a fire started there, you wouldn’t be able to get to it. A good location is near an exit to assure an escape route. Mount the unit with 4 piece Wicker Patio Sets Special $399°° ana up brackets that come with it. Don’t be tempted to store it in a cabinet or corner. Keep it out of the reach of small children. Follow the maintenance directions in the in- struction sheet and on the label; they may vary from unit to unit. The gauge on a pressurized model should be checked monthly to see that pressure is adequate. RECHARGE PROMPTLY Have the extinguisher recharged promptly after each use, according to the directions on the label. This should be done no matter how lit- tle of the contents are used. You can do that by calling a fire extin- guisher service agency listed in your classified directory. Once you know when and how, you can fight a home fire with more assurance of safety and suc- cess. To obtain more information on fire extinguishers, contact your local fire department or The District of North Vancouver Fire Department at the non-emergency phone number 980-7575. ILAC’S WEEKLY SPECIAL! WASHERS Gaiacy nich FROM $325 Quality Rebuilt Appliances Vacuum Sales & Service In-Home Service on All _Major Appliances (EC ILAC ww’ SERVICE CO. (#-} 987-7330 ["=*) 1825 Lonsdale Ave., N.Van. white/natural Reg. $599.00 & up Cushions sold separately with a choice of designer fabrics 1420 Fell Ave. valor HOMEFLAME BC Hydro Financing : at 12%. 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