I heard from my landlord this morning, passing along information that the City of Riverdale code enforcement people are now saying that I need to have a small fire extinguisher in the kitchen because of the increase in the number of fires in Prince George’s County over the last few years.
There are several things that bother me about this:
- It was hard enough scheduling the inspection (for this Friday), now I have to dig up a fire extinguisher!
- I’m somewhat skeptical that actually having a fire extinguisher in the kitchen dramatically reduces the number of fires that people have in their homes. For one thing, not all fires start in the kitchen. For another, not all people who have fire extinguishers have the knowledge or forethought to use them.
- One would assume that for a fire to start in the kitchen, there would need to be some source for the fire, for instance, an oven or toaster left on. Since I use neither over nor toaster, that leaves spontaneous combustion–and for that, I am willing to take my chances.
I think I may still have my cockpit fire extinguisher from back in my flying days and if I do have it, I can throw it under the sink. This way, if an avionics fire breaks out in my kitchen, I’ll be well-prepared to handle it.
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