Firefighter's Amazon find saves home from fire

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Instructing family members, particularly the younger ones, on the proper way to manage small house fires can be the key to saving your home.

One father recounts how he swiftly put out a recent grill fire that might have spread to the house. He utilized a fire blanket to smother the grease fire. Now, he encourages viewers to consider having one at home, as it could make a significant impact.

A TikTok video from a content creator and a professional dad named @dadchatshas has received over 2.3 million views. In the video, he mentions buying several Prepared Hero fire blankets after the brand became popular on TikTok years back.

He explains that having these in his home helped prevent a grill fire from escalating into a larger issue.

“Last night, I'm not sure what exactly happened, but the grill we have on our deck seemed to have a grudge against us that night,” he says in the video. “A mix of that and a lot of grease at the bottom, and it just went up.”

He notes that the fire only worsened even after he turned off the propane. “I noticed that there were embers flying into our yard and near the playground, which is made of wood, and the cushions from the couches,” he says.

He mentions that when these fire blankets became popular, viewers suggested strategic placements. For instance, you should attach them to the grill's underside for quick access in emergencies.

“But I had one of these—let me show you the packaging,” he says. “I had it strapped to the bottom of the grill, following advice from someone on here about two years ago, so I did it, and now I'm sharing it with you.”

What is a fire blanket?

He then displays the blanket, which appears slightly damaged. “This is the original one. It's the Prepared Hero,” he says. “I'm sure there are cheaper knockoffs out there, but I'm not sure about their effectiveness, and that's not something you want to find out when you need it to work, you know what I mean.”

Constructed with two layers of fiberglass and a protective coating, the fire blanket operates by cutting off the fire's oxygen supply, he explains. This method can handle fires with temperatures up to 1,000 degrees.

As a blanket, he points out that this tool is useful for teaching children to help in an emergency.

“I've been the only one in my family to use it, obviously, but one of the things they talk about is how it's something even kids can learn to use, which is important to me because fire extinguishers aren't the easiest things to operate,” he says. “Teaching a child how to use one of those is very foreign to them, but teaching them how to throw a blanket over something. They're used to that.”

Not every fire blanket advertised as a useful safety tool is guaranteed to be an effective means of putting out a fire. To be effective at snuffing out flames, fire blankets have to meet certain safety standards, such as:

• Being made of effective fire-resistant materials, such as fiberglass, wool, or Kevlar
• Being large enough to cover the fire, whether it is igniting on a person or a piece of machinery

You also need to use the correct application method. However, this is more about how someone uses it than its materials.

Prepared Hero fire blankets are available for purchase both on the brand’s website, as well as on Amazon.