Put It Out

Extinguishing Fire

An article based on the Safety Member Certification training module "Arson and Fire Safety" and the Church Security Guide article How to Handle Fire Safety in the Church.[1][2][3]

From the Bible

And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the Lord, the fire was quenched (Numbers 11:2).

Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out ... (Proverbs 26:20).

Introduction

News stories about structure fires often say, "Fully involved." The fire was not detected and put out in time to save the building. Preventing fires is important for safety of people in the church as well as for preserving our place of worship. But what if, in spite of all our efforts at prevention, a fire does start? Can it be extinguished in time to save the building?

In the News

Smoke alarm and sprinklers:

Columbia, Missouri, July 3, 2023 - An early morning fire on the stage of the all-purpose room triggered the fire alarm, sending an alert to the fire department. It also activated the sprinkler system. By the time firefighters arrived, the fire had been extinguished.[4]

Smoke alarm:

Portage, Michigan, September 24, 2024 - In the workshop of a church, cloths and brushes used in staining woodwork had been put into a container without first drying. Spontaneous combustion started a small fire, which activated a smoke alarm and a fire department alert. The fire was also seen remotely by an employee of the church via a security camera. Firefighters put the fire out with a fire extinguisher.[5]

Call by casual observer:

Madison, Wisconsin, May 24, 2024 - Lightning was the likely cause of a steeple fire at Madison's oldest Catholic Church. Someone saw smoke and called 911 at 11:15 am. Less than an hour later the fire was out.[6]

Smoke sensors and the response of the rector:

Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, June 24, 2024 - A fire began in the evening in the ceiling area of a historic Bryn Mawr church. A smoke alarm alerted both the fire department and the church's rector. The fire was toward the rear of the nave. The rector unlocked doors so the fire department had quick access. Since this was a ceiling fire, firefighters had to cut away part of the roof to focus fire hoses on the fire. The building was saved, but it takes a while before services can resume in the building.[7][8]

Alert by observer:

Decatur, Illinois, January 18, 2024 - A brick church had a wooden two story addition on the back side. A fire started in the addition. Someone saw the fire and called the fire department. The fire was put out quickly, but there was smoke damage in the church.[9]

Someone inside smelled smoke:

Dallas, Texas, July 26, 2024 - The pastor was inside a church early Friday afternoon when he smelled smoke. He opened a door and smoke came into the room. This became a two-alarm fire. One firefighter was injured. The fire, which started with an electrical short in the attic, destroyed the library and offices, but many old books were saved, along with the pastor's Bible. The worship area was intact, but had smoke damage. The next services were held outdoors.[10]

Automatic alarm:

Northborough, Massachusetts, April 9, 2024 - It was a 1:04 a.m. automatic alarm that alerted the Northborough fire department to a fire near the altar of a church. Searching for the source of the alarm, firefighters opened the chapel door and encountered smoke. A general alarm brought extra firefighters. When the fire was under control, books and religious items were moved to safety while the fire was being extinguished. It was under control in less than half an hour and all clear in another four hours. The alarms and closed chapel doors are credited with saving the church.[11]

In Time to Put It Out

No matter how effective your abilities are to extinguish a fire, you need to be there before it goes too far. That is the key in the news stories above. Once a fire has reached a certain point, it is hard to save the building. It also should be found early enough to get everyone out safely.

In each story the fire was discovered soon enough:

• In Columbia, MO, sprinklers put the fire out and alerted the fire department.
• In Portage, MI, a smoke alarm alerted the fire department.
• It was the same in Bryn Mawr, PA.
• In Madison, WI, someone saw fire coming out of the steeple after a suspected lightning strike and called 911.
• In Dallas, someone in the church saw smoke and reported the fire.
• In Northborough an automatic alarm alerted the fire department about 1 am. Closed chapel doors contained the blaze.

National Fire Prevention Association's 2024 Emphasis

Note how many times smoke detectors made the difference. October was Fire Prevention Month. This year the emphasis was on having working smoke alarms in your home, business, school, church, etc. These make a loud sound when smoke is detected. That is good for alerting people to get out while the getting is good. Better still is a smoke alarm that also alerts the fire department. As seen in our news stories (all from 2023 and 2024), they notify the fire department even when no one is in the church. Smoke alarms can also activate a fire suppression system (such as sprinklers, or automatic extinguishers for fryer or electrical fires).

Now to Put It Out

There are several means of extinguishing a fire:

• Fire suppression system
• Fire extinguisher
• Sand, salt, soda, or other smothering materials
• Closing the container tightly (if the fire is totally inside)
• Pouring water on it (if it is small enough)
• Fire hose
• Wrap & roll (if someone's clothes are on fire)

R.A.C.E.

First, let's put this into context. If you are where the fire is, follow R.A.C.E. -

• Rescue - Get people away from the fire. If someone's clothes are aflame, put this fire out.
• Wrap them in a blanket.
• Put them on their side.
• Roll them. This will smother flames.
• Get help for the emergency.
• Alert - notify others:
• Use a fire alarm.
• Call 911.
• Radio safety team members.
• Confine - Keep the fire from spreading. There are two ways:
• Remove fuel to starve the fire.
• Close doors and windows in the room to
• Block or slow down the fire.
• Deprive it of oxygen.
• Check fire doors to be sure they'll close.
• Extinguish or Evacuate -
• If you can, extinguish the fire
• If you can't or if it still creates hazardous conditions (such as smoke to populated areas or threat of explosion), call for evacuation. Radio, "Code Red (fire's location). Evacuate."

There are several sites on the Internet explaining R.A.C.E., including one from Stony Brook University.[12]

Means of Extinguishing Fires

Now the How of extinguish.

Fire suppression system

Fire suppression systems have stopped many fires before they became disastrous.

The most common systems are sprinklers. Each spray nozzle in a sprinkler system has a heat sensor which triggers that nozzle. A general heat and smoke detector can activate all the sprinklers in a specific area and may also activate the fire alarm and alert the fire department.

Special fire suppressors are used in certain locations. These use not water, but other suppressive materials. A fire suppression system in the kitchen uses the same suppressors as Class K extinguishers. In the garage, paint room, or engine maintenance building, this is Class B ingredients. Class C suppressors are used in a room for electrical equipment.

Fire extinguisher

According to Wikipedia, the first fire extinguisher on record was patented in 1723. Since then, there have been many developments. Today, there are several types of fire extinguishers, from small hand-held ones (more common in homes and vehicles), larger hand-held units, wheeled, and mounted. Their use depends on location as well as the types of fires.[13]

Classes

There are several classes of fire extinguishers:

• A - Common solid combustibles (paper, wood, plastics, leaves, cloth, etc.)
• B - Flammable gases and liquids
• C - Energized electrical equipment and lines
• D - Burning metals (rare)
• K - Kitchen fats and oils

ABC fire extinguishers (for classes A, B, and C) contain a dry, non-flammable powder which can smother the fire, cutting off oxygen.

How to Use

It pays to learn and practice how to use a fire extinguisher. Since time matters with a fire, one does not have the time to try figuring out what to do. An acronym to remember is P.A.S.S.

1. PULL the pin. This releases the lock.
2. AIM low at the base of the fire.
3. SQUEEZE the handle.
4. SWOOP the base from side to side.[3]

The Safety Team needs to practice using fire extinguishers. As many staff and congregants as possible should also participate, so that whoever is where the fire is can do the job. Besides the actual operation of an extinguisher, this includes knowing which class to use. This is simplified if the church has ABC extinguishers and Class K for the kitchen, but they should know anyway.

Care

Believe it or not, fire extinguishers are not care-free. First, they need to be charged (usually compressed air). Team members on patrol should at least look at the pressure gauge on each extinguisher to see if it is fully charged. It is too easy for some people to "test" a fire extinguisher or play with it. Also see if it is straight on the hook. If it is not, it may have been knocked off and put back. If not straight, check for damage.

Also, fire extinguishers should be regularly inspected and recharged by a professional. The date of the last servicing should be on the tag. Report any irregularities.

By the way, extinguishers scheduled for servicing are ideal to use for practice, since they'll be recharged anyway.

Sand, salt, soda, etc.

Some small fires can be put out with ordinary materials, such as sand, salt, and baking soda. The latter two are useful for kitchen fires, since they are usually readily available. Sand can be used for burning material on a concrete garage floor or outdoors.

Close container

If the fire is in a metal container that has a lid, putting the lid on may put it out if the lid fits well. This deprives the fire of additional air, so when the oxygen in the container is used up, the fire goes out. It is the same principle as snuffing out a candle in a jar.

Pour water

Some outdoor fires can be put out with buckets of water. Drowning the fire in a fire pit is one way to keep it from spreading. The same goes for bonfires if they're not too large. A fire in a kitchen pot or pan that does not involve grease or oil can also be drowned.

Fire hose

A fire hose or garden hose is likely the best choice for an outside fire involving vegetation. If the fire is large, at least the ground between the fire and the building(s) could be wetted as well as the walls and roof. This will buy time for the fire department to get there.

Wrap & roll

If someone's clothes ignite, the best means of putting the fire out is wrap & roll. Wrap a blanket or coat around the person and roll them on the floor to smother the flames. If no blanket or coat is available, then it is drop and roll while someone gets a pail or pitcher of water to wet the clothes if needed. Before this happens, teach everyone to drop and roll if their clothes catch fire. Have them practice the move so the reaction will be more natural. This can be done in a fire safety class.

Training

"Arson and Fire Safety" is the sixth of eight Safety Member Certification training modules. This program is designed to provide deep training in several aspects of church safety and security. This is a class which should be taken by others in the church. For instance, ushers and greeters will be involved in evacuations, and custodians have a role in fire prevention. There are group rates for auditing a class.[1]

The Church Security Guide article "How to Handle Fire Safety in the Church" complements the training. It can prepare the student for the class, then refresh the topic after certification.[2][3]

Conclusion

If you can do it safely, extinguish a fire before it spreads.

References

1. Kris, Moloney, "Arson and Fire Safety," Safety Member Certification, Sheepdog Church Security, 2018 [https://sheepdog-church-security.thinkific.com/bundles/safety-member-certification].
2. Kris Moloney, Church Security Guide, Security Articles, Sheepdog Church Security [https://sheepdog-church-security.thinkific.com/pages/security-articles?c=church-security-guide].
3. Kris P. Moloney, "How to Handle Fire Safety in the Church," Church Security Guide, Sheepdog Church Security, November 28, 2023 [https://sheepdog-church-security.thinkific.com/pages/security-articles?p=fire-safety-in-the-church].
4. Nicolas Fuchs, "Early morning fire at Missouri United Methodist Church extinguished by automatic sprinkler system," 13KRGC, July 3, 2023; Updated Tue, July 4, 2023 [https://krcgtv.com/news/local/early-morning-fire-at-missouri-united-methodist-church-extinguished-by-automatic-sprinkler-system].
5. Donny Ede, "Spontaneous combustion of staining materials causes church fire in Portage," WWMT, September 24, 2024 [https://wwmt.com/news/local/spontaneous-combustion-of-staining-materials-causes-church-fire-in-portage-valley-family-department-of-public-safety#].
6. Andrew Bahl, "Fire out at Madison's oldest active Catholic parish, Holy Redeemer," Capital Times (Cap Times), May 24, 2024 [https://captimes.com/news/fire-out-at-madisons-oldest-active-catholic-parish-holy-redeemer/article_8e59868a-19ed-11ef-a455-2b25af0e889d.html].
7. Peter T. Vanderveen, "Church of the Redeemer Bryn Mawr damaged by fire," Anglican Link (AnglicanTV Ministries, Inc.), June 26, 2024 [https://anglican.ink/2024/06/26/church-of-the-redeemer-bryn-mawr-damaged-by-fire/].
8. Anon (For MediaNews Group), "Lower Merion crews battle fire at historic church in Bryn Mawr," Times & Suburban, Updated: July 1, 2024 [https://www.mainlinemedianews.com/2024/07/01/lower-merion-crews-battle-fire-at-historic-church-in-bryn-mawr/].
9. Scott Perry, "Fire extinguished before damaging Decatur church," Herald & Review, January 19, 2024 [https://herald-review.com/fire-extinguished-before-damaging-decatur-church/article_3115b782-b6ec-11ee-b7d9-3f9349083d7c.html].
10. Rachel Snyder and Adriana De Alba, "Pastor was inside North Texas Church when fire began, one firefighter injured while battling blaze," WFAA, Published::31 PM CDT July 26, 2024, Updated August 6, 2024 [https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/dallas-county/crews-responding-fire-at-church-in-dallas/287-09a86bd9-a7cc-4367-8bd5-90ce33778713].
11. Maureen Sullivan, "Quick work by firefighters saves church in Northborough," Community Advocate. April 9, 2024 [https://www.communityadvocate.com/2024/04/09/fire-damages-church-in-northborough/].
12. Staff, "R.A.C.E.," Healthcare Fire Safety, Stony Brook University [https://ehs.stonybrook.edu/programs/healthcare-safety/healthcare-fire-safety/race].
13. "Fire extinguisher," Wikipedia, accessed September 15, 2024 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_extinguisher].