Fire extinguishers provide the first line of defense for home and business owners against fires of all kinds. Over time, fire extinguishers have helped minimize the spread of fires and prevent fire damage, injury and death, but a lot of people don’t know much about the history of the fire extinguisher or how this technology came to be. To learn more about the origins of fire extinguishers, keep reading.
Who created the first fire extinguisher?
Fires have always been a reality for people, but the danger caused by fire escalated as communities began living in more densely populated areas with lots of wooden structures. For a long time, the only option available to people who needed to extinguish a fire was to use water or try to suffocate the fire by stomping on it or covering it with cloth.
It wasn’t until 1723 that the first design for a chemical fire extinguisher was patented. This original patented fire extinguisher was created by Ambrose Godfrey, a chemist. Godfrey’s fire extinguisher featured a chamber filled with fire extinguishing chemicals and an ignition system designed to scatter the solution over a fire.
History of the fire extinguisher
Over time, more modern fire extinguishers were developed, and they had many similarities to the modern fire extinguishers in use today. In 1818, a British captain developed a fire extinguisher made with a copper vessel filled with potassium carbonate and compressed air. A similar fire extinguisher design made with soda acid was patented in the United States in 1881. This design used a chemical reaction to create a stream of pressurized water that could be used to put out a fire.
The first chemical foam fire extinguisher was developed in 1905 by a Russian inventor. The foam fire extinguisher released a thick, fire-extinguishing foam when activated thanks to a chemical reaction between sodium bicarbonate and aluminum sulphate. Later on, more extinguishers were developed, including some gas extinguishers that were designed to offer effective fire extinguishing capabilities in a small and easy-to-use package.
Modern fire extinguishers are modeled off a design patented by the company Dugas in 1928. This dry chemical extinguisher was used for all kinds of fires and was heavily marketed for home fire protection. Over time, technological advancements and developments led to the creation of more sophisticated and effective fire extinguishers for a wide variety of applications. Modern fire extinguishers have the capacity to extinguish even large fires, which can help property owners avoid extensive damage and minimize the risk of injury when a fire ignites.
Fire protection services
Nobody knows fire extinguishers quite like the team at Carpet Capital Fire Protection Inc., and we’re here to help answer any questions our customers have about fire protection for their homes and businesses. Since 1977, we have been dedicated to providing our customers with the highest quality fire protection services and equipment available, including fire extinguisher inspection and maintenance. Find out more about what we have to offer by giving our team a call today.