Where should a fire extinguisher be located in a car?

Everything about car operation

(Requirements for operation, placement, maintenance)

Car fire extinguisher introduction

The requirements of the rules oblige us to carry a working fire extinguisher in the car.

Many people neglect this requirement, forgetting that they are driving next to a daily supply of explosive gasoline and a large number of hot car parts, from which gasoline can easily ignite. Unfortunately, if your car catches fire, you only have yourself to blame. The fact is that cars burn very quickly, sometimes 15 minutes is enough for a charred skeleton to remain from the car (in some cases, 3 minutes is enough). And in such a situation it is necessary to act quickly and decisively, especially since the fire must be extinguished at the inception stage because Only a fire truck can extinguish a fire in a car. But where does determination come from if many do not even know how to use a fire extinguisher and where exactly it is located. And those who know do not have practical skills in working with them.

My first experience using a fire extinguisher was in a quiet environment (lucky me). The verification period just expired, and I decided to practice. The role of the guinea pig was the OP-2 fire extinguisher - a two-liter powder fire extinguisher. Most car enthusiasts have just such an animal in their trunk.

In fact, everything is simple - I pulled the pin, pointed the bell at the fire and pressed the shutter. But there is one “BUT”: it turned out that there is not so much powder in the fire extinguisher! A couple of vigorous “shots” and a couple more weak “splashes” and ALL OP-2 was over. I did not count on such a situation. In the event of a really developing fire, most likely, the first shot would be a test shot, the second a sighting shot, and two “farts” at the target. And I’m not lying - according to the passport, the duration of the fire extinguisher OP-2 fire extinguisher is no less than 6(!) seconds, extinguishing area: 0.65 m2 . Imagine how accurate and cold-blooded you have to be when putting out a real fire!

What kind of fire extinguisher should be in a car?

Cars and trucks with a permissible maximum weight of up to 3.5 tons must be equipped with at least one powder, gas or water-based fire extinguisher with a charge of at least 2 kg (2 l), intended for use on vehicles and capable of extinguishing model fires. fire sources of at least 0.7A and 21B, and buses and trucks intended for transporting people or with a permissible maximum weight of 3.5 to 7.5 tons - two similar fire extinguishers. (the full text of the requirement is given below)

For myself, I concluded that it was necessary to switch to the OP-4 fire extinguisher, with more pleasant characteristics: Charge weight: 4 kg, fire extinguishing agent supply time: at least 8 s. Spray length: 3.0 m. Max. weight: 7.5 kg. Extinguishing area: 1.75 m2. GOST R 51057–2001; NPB 155–2002. At the same time, the difference in price is not critical: OP-4 550 rubles, OP-2 350 rubles.

Fire extinguisher device

Fire extinguishers differ in their operating principle into several categories. Each category has its own characteristics according to the principle of operation, the type of fire extinguishing agent and the method of putting the fire extinguisher into action.

You can learn more about this from the video

Where should a fire extinguisher be located in a car:

Even the best fire extinguisher will be useless if you can't get it. The fire extinguisher should be within easy reach of the driver and not in the trunk. In fact, this requirement is specified in SP 9.13130.2009 “Fire fighting equipment. Fire extinguishers operating requirements" in Appendix B:

Appendix B

Use of fire extinguishers on motor vehicles (ATS)

(the recommendations indicate the minimum rank of fire extinguishers and their minimum required quantity)

8.1 Cars and trucks with a permissible maximum weight of up to 3.5 tons must be equipped with at least one powder, gas or water-based fire extinguisher with a charge of at least 2 kg (2 l), intended for use on vehicles and providing extinguishing model fire sources of at least 0.7A and 21B, and buses and trucks intended for transporting people or with a permissible maximum weight of 3.5 to 7.5 tons - two similar fire extinguishers.
8.2 Vehicles for the transport of dangerous goods or with a permissible maximum weight of more than 7.5 tons are equipped with two powder, gas or water-based fire extinguishers, each of which must be capable of extinguishing model fires of at least 2A and 70B.
In this case, one must be on the chassis, and the other must be on the tank or in the body with cargo. 8.3 For use on vehicles, only fire extinguishers are allowed that have been certified in the prescribed manner, the design of which has passed the test for vibration strength and transport shaking in accordance with GOST R 51057. Fire extinguishers must remain operational in the temperature range from minus 30 °C to plus 50 °C and be recommended by the manufacturer for use on automatic telephone exchanges.
8.4 It is allowed to use carbon dioxide (gas) fire extinguishers on vehicles if they have a fire extinguishing ability of fire class B no lower than those specified in 1 and 2. In this case, the placement of fire extinguishers on the vehicle must exclude the possibility of their heating above plus 50 °C.
8.5 It is advisable to use multi-purpose powder compositions of the ABCE type as a charge in powder fire extinguishers.
8.6 Vehicles operating on liquefied gas must be equipped with fire extinguishers designed to extinguish class C fires.
8.7 In buses and trucks, one fire extinguisher must be located in the cab, the other in the passenger compartment or body.
8.8 Mobile laboratories, workshops and other vehicles such as a van mounted on a car chassis must be equipped with fire extinguishers of the appropriate type, depending on the class of possible fire and the characteristics of the mounted equipment.
8.9 On all vehicles, fire extinguishers must be located in the cab, in close proximity to the driver or in a place easily accessible to him.
It is prohibited to store fire extinguishers in places that are difficult to access (trunk, body, etc.). 8.10 Fire extinguishers located outside the cabin should be protected from exposure to precipitation, sunlight and dirt.
8.11 The design of the bracket must be reliable to eliminate the possibility of the fire extinguisher falling out of it when the vehicle moves, collides or hits an obstacle.
8.12 Powder fire extinguishers installed on vehicles outside the cab or interior and exposed to adverse climatic and physical factors must be recharged at least once every 12 months, other fire extinguishers - at least once every 24 months.

Thus, I consider placing a fire extinguisher in the trunk of a car unacceptable.

On the Internet I came across the following advice: there should be two fire extinguishers, one large OP-4 in the trunk and one small OP-2 under the driver’s seat.

I found something similar in my photo archive:

For anyone interested, I provide below the passport of my old fire extinguisher OP-2 (with notes and additions)

OJSC "Davlekanovsky Fire-Fighting Equipment Plant"
Portable powder fire extinguisher OP-2(z)-ABCE

(“z” in brackets means “pumping”, i.e. using the energy of compressed gas located inside the fire extinguisher itself)

Operating manual / PASSPORT

1. Purpose
The fire extinguisher is intended for the protection of premises, use on road, rail and river transport as a primary means of extinguishing fires of solid (class A fire), liquid (class B fire), and gaseous flammable substances (class C fire), as well as electrical equipment under voltage up to 1000V (class E fire).
The class depends on the brand of fire extinguishing powder (indicated by a stamp in the passport).
The fire extinguisher is not intended to extinguish fires of materials that can burn without access to air.

2. Technical characteristics
2.1 Powder mass – 2 kg (+- 0.1);
2.2 Working pressure in the housing – 1.6-0.6 MPa (

16-6 atm.)
2.3 Duration of putting the fire extinguisher into action, no more than 6 seconds.
2.4 Duration of supply of fire extinguishing agent (fire extinguishing agent), at least 6 seconds.
2.5 The length of the exhaust jet is at least 2 m.
2.6 Overall dimensions: height - 295 mm, diameter 142 mm.
2.7 Fire extinguisher weight, no more than 3.7 kg;
2.8 Designated service life of the fire extinguisher is 10 years.
2.9 Operating temperature range from -40 to +50С

3 Delivery set.
— a charged fire extinguisher,
— an instruction manual with a passport.
4 Design and principle of operation
The pressure indicator monitors the compressed air pressure in the fire extinguisher body.
The indicator arrow should be in the green sector of the scale. The location of the indicator arrow in the red sector indicates insufficient pressure. The principle of operation is as follows: when you press the lever, the valve opens and the fire extinguishing powder is released under air pressure through a siphon tube and the sprayer is thrown onto the fire.

How to properly place a fire extinguisher in a car

Did you like the article ? Follow our channel for new ideas of useful car tips. Subscribe to us in Yandex.Zen. Subscribe.

To maintain safety, any vehicle must have a fire extinguisher. Generally, people prefer to use the powder type of fire extinguisher. It weighs only 2-3 kg. Such a fire extinguishing device should be located in a place where it can be easily reached, for example, the passenger compartment or trunk. According to fire safety rules, all cars must have a fire extinguisher with a charge of at least 2 kg. However, it should also be positioned correctly in the car.

Possible places to store a fire extinguisher in a car

Popular car manufacturers produce them with fire extinguishers. In this case, the manufacturer pre-designates the correct location for such equipment, which has special fastenings. If your car does not have such capabilities, you will need to choose this place yourself. In reality, there are no restrictions here. You can store a fire extinguisher almost anywhere in your car. For its location, say, the glove compartment or the space under the driver’s seat is suitable; it can also be placed behind the back of the driver’s seat or left to the side.

It is important that the car fire extinguisher should be located in a place where it can be easily reached. This is necessary so that, if necessary, you can quickly use this device and put out the fire. The fire extinguisher itself cannot in any way interfere with driving. This means that he should not roll around in the interior while tapping on it. Such a device must be reliable and must have high-quality fastening.

Choosing a fire extinguisher

Before choosing a fire extinguisher, you should see if it has the required markings specified by GOST R51017 2009. The following information should be on the label:

1. Manufacturer's name.
2. Types of fire for which the device is intended.
3. Charge volume.
4. The type of device is disposable and downloadable.
5. Actions for working with the device.
6. Instructions for storing the fire extinguisher.
7. Refill time and expiration date.

Fire extinguisher storage locations in a car

Such a device must be stored in the place intended for it, which is provided for by the design of the machine. Also, it is very important to know where such a device should not be placed. You should be aware that the device that is designed to extinguish fire has quite a decent weight. For this reason, it should be kept in a safe and secure place and the device should be secured in some way. In addition, the fire extinguisher cannot be located in dangerous places, becoming an additional target in the event of an accident.

Very often, drivers place a fire extinguishing device under their seat. And even if such a device is fixed under the seat, it is quite possible that if the car suddenly stops or collides with another object, the fire extinguisher will fly out of its place and hit the driver’s legs. Of course, he can fly into the pedal, but it’s better to play it safe and not risk your health.

Where should a fire extinguisher be located in your car according to the rules?

Added to News // 1 Comment

Every car enthusiast knows that there must be a working fire extinguisher in the car. Often it lies just for show somewhere deep in the trunk so that the traffic police officer cannot find fault. There is no place for him in the cabin. In addition, in 70% of cases the fire extinguisher is expired; we can say that, in fact, there is no fire extinguisher, only the body.

This is the driver’s carelessness and disregard, first of all, towards himself and his loved ones who are traveling in the same car with him.
You will not find any requirements regarding the storage location of a fire extinguisher in the traffic regulations. But there is a special document on fire safety technology, which sets out the rules for using fire extinguishers. An entire appendix is ​​devoted to the placement of fire extinguishers in cars. It says that the fire extinguisher should be located in the cab of the vehicle. The driver must keep a fire extinguisher within easy reach.
It should be kept close to the driver. It is prohibited to store a fire extinguisher in restricted access areas. For example, in the back of a truck. And the most inappropriate place is the trunk. And this is understandable from the point of view of logic and common sense. It will take many precious minutes to get out of the car, run to the trunk, open it, turn things over and get it out. Add to this the pressure of an emergency situation. During this time, a small fire will turn into a blazing car.
Everything could already burn out before the unfortunate driver finds something to put out the fire. Therefore, the best place to store the fire extinguisher should be clearly identified. You can put it under the driver's seat. But it should be fixed there so that it does not accidentally roll out under the driver’s feet. By doing everything this way, the car enthusiast will have a much better chance of saving himself and his equipment.

We recommend viewing

1 Comment on Where should a fire extinguisher be located in your car according to the rules?

Whoever wrote that the fire extinguisher needs to be located under the driver’s seat has been looking there for a long time. Probably never. Having dropped something under the seat, the driver needs to unfasten his seat belt, get out of the car and scramble to retrieve the lost item. And where it is convenient to place it is not provided by the manufacturer. So there is no need to shift from a sore head to a healthy one. If you want security, start with yourself.

Cannot be stored: where should a fire extinguisher be located in a car?

Receive one of the most read articles by email once a day. Join us on Facebook and VKontakte.

Lyrical digression

To begin with, it should be recalled that there is no act in the traffic rules indicating that traffic police officers have the right to check the presence of a fire extinguisher in the car. The same goes for the first aid kit and emergency sign. However, all of the above is an important component of the safety of the driver and the car as a whole. Therefore, you definitely shouldn’t neglect having a fire extinguisher in your car. Moreover, you should read the instructions for the extinguishing device and always replace the fire extinguisher with a new one in a timely manner so as not to get into an unpleasant situation.

A place for your fire extinguisher

Where should a fire extinguisher be in a car? In short, the fire extinguisher must be stored in a place specially designed for this purpose, provided by the car’s designers. It is much more important to understand where the fire extinguisher should definitely not be. It is worth remembering that a fire extinguisher is quite a heavy thing, and therefore it must be, firstly, securely fastened, and secondly, it should not be in the “danger zone” in case of an accident.

A prime example is storing a fire extinguisher under the seat. Even if the fire extinguisher is fixed under the driver's seat, there is a possibility that at the moment of sudden braking or (worse) a collision with something, it will fall off and fly at the feet of the motorist. In the “best” case, the fire extinguisher will hit some pedal, in the worst case, it will break the driver’s legs.

The optimal place to store a fire extinguisher is the trunk of a car. Some will say that in the event of a fire, it can be difficult to get to the trunk. This is partly true, but what to do if there is a risk of a car catching fire in an accident, the driver’s seat is mangled, and the fire extinguisher is under the seat? Moreover, a fire in the driver's compartment may make it impossible for even the driver to remove the fire extinguisher. In such a situation, a trunk is the best option. And by the way, station wagons are a big winner here - after all, they always have access to the trunk from the passenger compartment.

Good advice

Finally, it is worth considering keeping several fire extinguishers in different places in your car. However, remember that all of them should not fall into the danger zone for the driver and passengers, and should also be securely fixed. The most vigilant and responsible drivers also have a pocket fire extinguisher nearby.

Do you want to learn even more interesting things about a wide variety of cars and their operation? How about reading about why many cars cannot have covers on the front seats and the consequences of breaking this rule.

Did you like the article? Then support us, click :

Where should you store a fire extinguisher in your car?

According to current traffic rules, a working, refilled and tested fire extinguisher must be in the car. If previously it was impossible to pass a technical inspection without such a fire extinguisher, then after changing the rules, the traffic police inspector, when checking a car, has the right to issue a fine to the car owner if such mandatory accessories are not in the car. The need to constantly carry such a cylinder with you is understandable, but few car owners know where to properly store a fire extinguisher in the car.

Current traffic regulations do not regulate the exact location of a fire extinguisher in a vehicle. The rules simply say that it must be, but do not indicate where the container with special foam should be transported. That is why you should focus on the requirements and rules of GOST, which stipulate a number of mandatory conditions and indicate the optimal places for transporting a fire extinguisher.

The GOST requirements stipulate that the fire extinguisher must, during storage, withstand prolonged loads and shaking, which will invariably occur when the vehicle is moving. The design of the cylinder itself must be such that when using it there is no need to turn the fire extinguisher over, which is not always safe and can even lead to the cylinder falling, damaging and exploding.

The body of the fire extinguisher must be painted bright red. Therefore, you should not purchase black, green or gray fire extinguishers from auto accessory stores. It is quite possible that they will act correctly, but formally, a traffic police inspector or a specialist during a technical inspection may impose a fine or reject such a car until its configuration is put in order.

It is imperative that the fire extinguisher is secured in the car, and not thrown in the trunk, where it will roll around during sudden maneuvers of the car. Ultimately, this can lead to failure of the bracket or even spontaneous explosion of the cylinder with extremely dangerous consequences for the driver and passengers in the car.

Experts recommend placing a fire extinguisher in a car in a small space under the driver's seat. In such a case, you can quickly remove the cylinder if there is a fire in the cabin or smoke from under the hood. Fire extinguishers can also be placed in the trunk, but they must be secured and located in a visible place.

You should not skimp on the quality of such car accessories. In a critical situation, when there is a fire in the engine compartment, with a high-quality, fully charged, working fire extinguisher, you can cope with even a serious flame, preventing the car from burning out and its complete destruction. If a car owner uses an old, uncharged fire extinguisher, then, ultimately, this will lead to problems with the operation of the car, up to the complete destruction of the car even if it catches fire.

All fire extinguishers have an expiration date, after which the cylinders should be deactivated and new tested and refilled fire extinguishers purchased, which will be required, including for mandatory technical inspection. You should not think that it will be possible to persuade a technical center employee to turn a blind eye to an expired fire extinguisher and obtain permission to drive on public roads.

The easiest way is to store a fire extinguisher under the front driver's seat or by securing such a cylinder in the trunk using appropriate nets and clamps. You just need to remember that the fire extinguisher will need to be recharged regularly, each cylinder will have its own expiration date, which must be taken into account, which will allow you to avoid fines, easily pass technical inspection, and if the car catches fire, the driver will be able to quickly extinguish the flame, which will save the car from complete burnout.