Recently, my son asked me why I do. I told him I've seen two vehicles on fire in a few year's time and figured there were decent odds I'd see a third, or that it could be mine some day. The first was a truck on the side of the interstate with the hood open and flames shooting out of the engine compartment. Poor driver was just standing there, watching his truck burn. I was about to pull over and call 911 and there just happened to be a trooper running radar just over the rise, so I pulled over and told him what the deal was and he called it in. The second time, I was stuck in gridlock traffic just a few miles from home and the car next to me caught fire and was fully engulfed and actively being put out by firemen who managed to get there while I sat and watched in concern just feet away. I couldn't go anywhere, the whole scene was locked down, people were told to stay in their vehicles, and I had to just watch and really hope it didn't explode. I have pictures of that somewhere, I'll have to dig them out.

Anyway, with Para's thread about an emergency knife in his car and some of the other topics I've seen come up, I wondered if anyone else keeps a fire extinguisher in their car. If not, why not? If so, what led to that?

Yes, mounted in the (covered) bed of my truck. I probably hurt my gas mileage with all of the tools, tow straps, etc. that I keep back there

The size most would carry would do little for a car fire. We had a rather large one in our patrol units and they were useless in car fires.

We have one in both our cars.

5-lb. ABC in the kitchen, 5-lb. ABC in the garage, 5-lb. ABC in each vehicle, 5-lb. ABC in the camping trailer.

I've only had to use one in the last 25 years or so, but it did the job for a car engine fire in a convenience store parking lot.

I'm a believer in fire protection.

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The size most would carry would do little for a car fire.

Agreed. The only time an extinguisher of practical size to carry in your car and wield is of any use is if the fire is just barely starting, or to smother a potential one. Opening the hood with a fire underneath is dangerous. You'll burn your hands fumbling with the hood latch to get the hood open, and if you do, the fire, with the sudden inrush of air, may rush out at your body and face or even trigger an explosion. Your efforts will be better expended getting the occupants out and away from it. Still, an extinguisher does take up little room, and it certainly can't hurt. I don't carry one, however. Perhaps I should. I do keep one in the kitchen.

I do in all three. Lost one vehicle to fire and have been in three others that went ablaze in one size or another. (three electrical, one where something got caught on the muffler and eventually combusted.) I figure even if I can't save the car, maybe I can slow it down enough to get my belongings out of it.


My father had a fire with one of his old Dodge pickups. Fuel line came loose from the carb and lit up. He put it out with a shovel and dirt. Had just taken the air cleaner off when the idiot fire department showed up. I think he'd stepped away from the truck, so he couldn't stop them from hosing the engine down with 3" or so line (to put out the long since extinguished fire). Washed large amounts of that dirt down into the intake. We ended up tearing that engine down most of the way to get the mud out of it.

Not in my personal vehicle, but I do in my work vehicle. I've used it to good effect more than once...sure pisses off the firemen when the fire is out before they get there .

Now, the real question is, have you ever had a fire extinguisher discharge inside your vehicle? A co-worker did, while enroute to an emergency call no less. The mess that that made was truly epic.

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Originally posted by 92fstech:
Now, the real question is, have you ever had a fire extinguisher discharge inside your vehicle? A co-worker did, while enroute to an emergency call no less. The mess that that made was truly epic.

I had a very large CO2 extinguisher go off in my trunk after I got T-boned. It filled the trunk with snow in July.

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My father had a fire with one of his old Dodge pickups. Fuel line came loose from the carb and lit up. He put it out with a shovel and dirt. Had just taken the air cleaner off when the idiot fire department showed up. I think he'd stepped away from the truck, so he couldn't stop them from hosing the engine down with 3" or so line (to put out the long since extinguished fire). Washed large amounts of that dirt down into the intake. We ended up tearing that engine down most of the way to get the mud out of it.

I watched a car fire happen in a wal-mart parking lot one time (was off-duty, just walking out of the store as fire was pulling up). Poor guy stood there and watched the fire department cut a giant V in his hood with a chop saw, then flood everything with about 500 gallons of water....including the interior. Any property he had left inside that car would probably have been better off taking its chances with the fire. I'll say, though, that their approach was very effective at getting the fire out.

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Originally posted by ryan81986:

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Originally posted by 92fstech:
Now, the real question is, have you ever had a fire extinguisher discharge inside your vehicle? A co-worker did, while enroute to an emergency call no less. The mess that that made was truly epic.

I had a very large CO2 extinguisher go off in my trunk after I got T-boned. It filled the trunk with snow in July.

Yeah, my buddy's was in the back of a Ford Explorer. No separate trunk compartment. It went literally everywhere. Took hours to clean, and he was getting dry chemical residue out of his blower vents for weeks afterwards.

For more years than I can count.
When I go off the beaten path I carry more.
I've had the occasion to come across campfires that were smoldering their way to relighting and a small bottle took care of them.
Some people shouldn't be allowed to camp in the woods.

Yes I did when I was a kid in my 1973 cuda I droved every day 13 sec quarter mile. In my collage days I could afford gas in the mid 80,s

Nope, don’t carry one….even a small fire in engine compartment with all the wiring harnesses and components result in A totaled vehicle…..I figure let the insurance company pay me out if ur happens

Got a Halon extinguisher bolted down in the truck.

Figured if the engine caught fire, I could shoot the extinguisher through the wheel wells and grille if nothing else.

A fully involved car fire is not going to be stopped by anything you are carrying in your car. But all of these fires start small. And stopping the small fire can be important. I've saved a number of vehicles with truly small extinguishers if you address the issue quickly. I can't imagine not having one.

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Originally posted by 92fstech:
Not in my personal vehicle, but I do in my work vehicle.

You never know when you might have to extinguish a flammable tazed motorcyclist.

I carry one in each vehicle. I lost a car to a fire 40 plus years ago.

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Originally posted by hrcjon:
A fully involved car fire is not going to be stopped by anything you are carrying in your car. But all of these fires start small. And stopping the small fire can be important. I've saved a number of vehicles with truly small extinguishers if you address the issue quickly. I can't imagine not having one.

I was able to put out a smallish engine fire on a car that was stepped along the side of the road. this was about 10 years ago.

Saved some lady's car. But when it was all said and done, I realized that my $40 extinguisher was spent, and the lady honestly wasn't very nice -- kind of "Karen like" if you know what I mean. I didn't get as much as a simple thanks.

That part pissed me off. But my wife said that she was likely under stress and thanking someone just wasn't on her mind, nor was my $40 extinguisher.

That said, there are forest roads near the property here were you are required to carry an extinguisher, a shovel, some water, and I forget what else.

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Originally posted by RichardC:

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Originally posted by 92fstech:
Not in my personal vehicle, but I do in my work vehicle.

You never know when you might have to extinguish a flammable tazed motorcyclist.

Yeah, I saw that video...that's the stuff of nightmares. I'll bet that dude was pretty happy those cops had extinguishers onboard, though...would have been a long wait for the FD!