Christmas Tree Fire

Jerome Fire Department holds fundraiser for training center

Jerome Fire Department is holding a golf and dinner fundraiser today to raise money for improvements to its training center.

The money will go toward props at the training center like a flashover trailer, which can simulate fire conditions that are most dangerous for firefighters. It can also aid demonstrations, such as showing how quickly a Christmas tree-ignited fire spreads. The improvements will be available to fire departments throughout the region, not just Jerome's department.

The golf fundraiser, starts at 2 p.m. today at Canyon Springs Golf Course in Twin Falls, The cost for a team of four is $260, which includes dinner.

There's also the option of buying $10 raffle tickets. The winner will get a chance to try hitting a hole-in-one from 165 yards out - if successful, the golfer will get a $1-million prize.

If you can't make to the golfing part, though, you can still go to the dinner, which is $20 a ticket and also at the golf course.

To find out more about the event and golf space available, call 308-6151.

The Renegade Rip : Fire Gone extinguisher not so hot

Filed under Reviews

Fire Gone is a product that is intended to diminish any type of fire, from an engine fire to a candle. The product is said to even be able to put out a Christmas tree fire, but in reality, Fire Gone should not be trusted unless several cans are available.

The commercial for this product shows people in various predicaments where a fire ignites and they quickly put it out using Fire Gone. It describes the product as more effective and easier to use than fire extinguishers, however the warning label on the back of the can reads that it is “not intended to replace an NFPA 10 compliant fire extinguisher.”

I purchased my 16-ounce can of Fire Gone on Amazon.com for a total of $15.44 including shipping and handling.

To test this product out safely, I had the help of Tim Capehart, the fire technology coordinator at the Olive Drive Training Facility. We started the fire in a little tin that we found outside the training facility.  We put in some cardboard, a couple pieces of wood and some paper. After lighting the fire I waited for it to grow to be able to accurately test this product.  After about a minute it seemed big enough and I started the steps. The simple instructions read: “call 911, hold can upright, break off tab, hold can 3 to 4 feet away from fire and spray across base of fire using gentle sweeping motion.”

When testing Fire Gone, I followed each direction carefully, excluding the first step. After about four or five sprays of Fire Gone’s foamy white contents, the fire was almost gone.

For the most part, the fire did go out, but a lot of smoke was still emerging from the tin. I stayed, staring at the smoke concerned the fire would reignite.  It stayed out, but I’m not sure it would have if it had it been in a less contained environment — a           Christmas tree for instance.

After those four or five sprays, I also noticed that the can had completely emptied.  Trying to spray more of it onto the smoky remains, it dispersed out little droplets of foam like an empty can of silly string.

This made me certain that Fire Gone is not a safe product.  If this were to have been an actual fire, in a real location, I’m terrified to think what might have happened. This, Capehard said, is a problem with all products similar to Fire Gone. They contain minimal liquid to adequately put out fires.

He said normally fire extinguishers work better because they are usually serviced once a year, contain enough powder to put out almost any size fire, can be used standing further than three to four feet away from a fire and have pressure meters to show how much remains.

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