Consumer Reports tests fire extinguishers

CLEVELAND - House fires are the leading cause of fire deaths in the United States. Hundreds die every year, and most fires start in the kitchen.

Firefighters know how quickly a kitchen fire can spread. That is why having a good fire extinguisher on hand is so important.

"The first few seconds are vital. It means the difference between extinguishing a small, incipient fire on a stove or on a stove top and the fire consuming your kitchen or a portion of your house," deputy fire commissioner John Cullen said.

Consumer Reports tested more than a dozen extinguishers, including seven smaller ones convenient for the kitchen. Consumer Reports also tested two new types of aerosol sprays. Testers created fires using a flammable liquid to see how well each one could battle a blaze.

"Most did well, but the two aerosol sprays sometimes caused the fire to flare up. And while they may look a lot like fire extinguishers, they're not," said John Galeotafiore of Consumer Reports.

But you wouldn't get that from the First Alert Tundra unless you read the fine print.

Galeotafiore said, "Another problem, these cans don't have a pressure indicator, so there's no way of knowing if they're ready to use, which is critically important."

Therefore, Consumer Reports rates the Kitchen Guard and First Alert Tundra aerosol sprays a "Don't Buy."

Consumer Reports determined the better choice for your kitchen is the $19 Kidde extinguisher model #FX 10K. It was easy to use and quickly extinguished the test fires.

Besides having a fire extinguisher in your kitchen, Consumer Reports says it's important to have multi-purpose extinguishers on every floor of your home.

An important safety check when buying an extinguisher: Check that the pressure indicator registers "full."

Top-rated in tests:

• Kidde model FX-340-GW -- $36

More info from Consumer Reports:

• Inside Consumer Reports Test Labs: Review of fire extinguishers
• Aerosol fire sprays no substitute for extinguishers