Fire Blankets

Fire Blankets should be considered an essential piece of fire safety equipment on any boat that has some form of cooker in their galley.

Fire blankets come in a range of different sizes. They are constructed of a fire resistant material keeping them from catching fire before extinguishing small fires.

Knowing when to use a fire blanket and how they work can help to prevent a small fire getting out of hand. When used to tackle a pan fire or fire around the cooker you should make sure to turn off the heat. Then you can use the blanket to smother the flame, starve it of oxygen and put it out.

They do a highly effective job of tackling pan fires, able to put them out before the fire can spread. It is a good idea to have one mounted in the galley area so that it is easily reached in the event of a fire. They are also good at helping a person whose clothing is on fire, getting them to stop, drop and roll whilst smothering the flames in the blanket is very effective.

Your boat's fire blanket shouldn't replace a fire extinguisher, but work best alongside them. Providing you a way to fight a fire on board should the worst happen.