Element Fire Extinguisher Stick

I tend to watch a lot of Jay Leno’s Garage on Youtube while I work out. A while ago, Jay had a short feature on the Element fire extinguisher stick. The Youtube video is linked below but basically the Element product represents a breakthrough in fire extinguisher technology. The packaging is about the size of a road flare, roughly 10 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ diameter. You strike one end to ignite the stick. A mist of fire suppressing gas shoots out of the end of the stick. You aim it at the base of the fire and the fire is extinguished. The stick has several advantages over a regular bottle type extinguisher. The mist is non-toxic and dissipates without leaving any residue. It will emit the gas for over 60 seconds. It has a basically unlimited shelf life. And the small size allows it to fit inside of your glove compartment or put it in a kitchen drawer. It even fits into the glove box of my Etype!  This product made such a good impression on me that I bought a 1/2 dozen of them and distributed them into my cars and kitchen. I hope to never have to use them but it’s nice to know they will be there when I need them!

Element fire extinguisher stick in my Etype glove box.

PS There has been much discussion about engine fires and the Element stick on automotive forums. One takeaway message is if you think there is a fire in your engine compartment, pop the hood latch but do not open the hood, which may result in a burst of flame and burns to yourself. Rather, pop the hood latch and try and stick the extinguisher into the narrow space between the hood and the front grill. Or shoot the gas from the stick from ground level upward into the underside of the engine. I’ve gone 40 years without an engine fire but for those of us that drive classic cars, it must be a sickening feeling to watch your pride and joy go up in flames. Having an Element stick in the glove box may be invaluable!