How to use a fire blanket

What’s a car fire blanket?
A car fire blanket is a safety device that is used to extinguish fires in fuel vehicles and to control fires in electric vehicles.

Why a car fire blanket is able to suffocate a car on fire?
A car flame blanket is able to extinguish a fire through the choking or suffocation principle. Knowing that fire is a chemical reaction where fuel, gases, and a heat source are combined, if one of these element is taken out, the fire cannot continue.

When the blanket is placed and covers the car, the fire consumes the oxygen that remained trapped inside. When oxygen runs out, although some remains of fuel or other combustion materials can remain, the flames are turned off.

In order that a car fire blanket suffocated a fire in a vehicle, it must take around 80 to 120 minutes for oxygen to consume completely (depending on the car’s size). Then, the blanket can be removed.

How to use a car fire blanket?
For higher safety, both because of its weight and dimensions, it is recommended that two people are present for its placement.

It is suitable that the blanket extends on top of the car from the front area to the back side, because the car’s aerodynamic itself eases the movement and avoid that the blanket gets stuck on any element, like the antenna or the driving mirrors.

Although a car flame blanket is used, it is a MUST to contact emergency services.

In order to suitably use Texfire’s car fire blanket, it is recommended to follow these steps:

1. Take off the blanket from its textile backpack and unroll it completely in the front side of the car, locating the holding grommets.
2. Cover the flaming car completely, pulling from the side holders, sliding the blanket from the front area to the back part of the car. It is important that the blanket gets centered in the vehicle, in a way that some fabric overruns on the 4 sides of the vehicle.
3. Carefully, adjust the overruns of the blanket to the underside of the vehicle with the feet, sealing the area and limiting the oxygen entrance in the vehicle as a consequence, easing then the flames’ suffocation.
4. Let the blanket work until the fire is over and there is no risk of spreading. Check that flames are extinguished and take off the blanket.

How long does it take for a blanket to suffocate a fire?
The usual recommended time is to leave the blanket on top of the car around 80 to 120, but this time can extend. Every fire has different features and these must be taken especially into account because they influence directly on the blanket’s performance, these are some of them:

• Maximum reached temperature
• Temperature of the ambience.
• Climate elements like rain, wind, etc.
• Indoors or outdoors fire.
• Type of tapestry and other finishes of the vehicle’s interior.
• Type of fuel (Gasoline, diesel, or battery).
• Type of ground (asphalt, sandy, gravel, mud…).

Can car fire blankets be re-used?
It is important to know that, during a fire, there are some factors that cannot be controlled and can harm the blanket:

• Explosions of glasses and pneumatics.
• Oils, fuel, and battery’s acids spills.
• Stones, branches, or other surrounding elements.
• Fumes and other toxic elements.
• Melted plastics and metals stuck to the blanket.
• Etc.
  
  

The Texfire fire blanket can be used several times as long as it has not been seriously damaged in any of its uses. The customer is responsible for checking that the blanket is in perfect condition and, if necessary, also for decontaminating it after each use, as well as for folding and storing it correctly.