VIDEO: With house fires tending to be more common during the holiday season, officials in Appleton are recommending residents opt for a fire extinguisher instead of a fire blanket. According to a post on social media from the Appleton Fire Department, while fire blankets can be useful at times, they shouldn’t be used in place of fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, and other essential safety tools.
Officials say that fire blankets can help in situations where someone’s clothing catches on fire because they can be safely wrapped to extinguish the flames, however, using a fire blanket also means that those putting the fire out have to get too close to the fire, increasing the risk of burns and smoke inhalation.
Fire blankets are also said not to be suitable for most home fire situations and can lead to residents being confused as to when and when not to use them. Those with the Appleton Fire Department say a fire extinguisher is better in most cases because it gives the user a better distance away from the flames being put out and it is designed to effectively handle the most common types of home fires.
