Why You Should Keep a Fire Extinguisher Near Your TV
When I bought my flat about ten years ago, one of the things that came with it was a small fire extinguisher.
I had probably been living here for a month when I first saw a strange cardboard box hidden under a cabinet.
Inside the box was a bright red, brand-new fire extinguisher.
What did I do with it?
You guessed it correctly. I put it back in the box and into the cabinet.
Last week I had some friends over for drinks in the middle of a heat wave of epic proportions. Temperatures soared to a sweltering 47ºC, and fires broke out throughout the country.
My friend Raul was the last to arrive. He is a firefighter and had much to do in the previous few days.
Raul started telling us about the find how people are so darn careless when they go for picnics in the countryside and at their homes.
He was explaining everything about safety rules and best practices when he suddenly cried out.
“Hey Rui, where is your fire extinguisher? I don’t remember ever seeing one around your place.”
“Phew!” I suddenly had a dejá vù and recalled how I had, found it years ago.
“Cmon, Raul, you know me. I have it here in the kitchen.”
My friend had me by the tail.
“Oh! I see… In the kitchen. Hey, Rui, can you do me a favor and fetch it. I will time you.”
I walked to the kitchen, opened the cabinet, looked inside, and found the box right where I had first seen it. I picked it up and brought it back to the living room.
“Took you a while!”
Raul giggled.
“What are you going to do with that dusty old dug-taped box.”
“It’s my fire extinguisher”
“Well! You know you should take it out of the box before using it, right! By now, your beautiful four-meter-high curtains would be on fire.”
I ripped the dug tape and pulled it out of the box.
