Will YOU be part of a house fire statistic?

Few people have them in their home, but fire extinguishers can save lives and are one of the best defenses in minimizing property damage. Some extinguishers 'fight' fires better than others!

Posted 3:03 p.m. May 4, 2010 — Updated 3:12 p.m. May 4, 2010

We never imagine it could happen to us, but according to the Centers For Disease Control, on average in the United States in 2008, someone died in a fire about every 158 minutes. Four out of five of those deaths happened when homes caught fire. That happened more than 403,000 times! That's A LOT of house fires, and the number one place house fires start is in the kitchen!

While we've all at least heard about the importance of smoke alarms in preventing fire deaths, few of us have another piece of equipment that can be life saving – a FIRE EXTINGUISHER! At the very least, they are one of the best defenses against serious property damage when a fire starts! Do you have one? Have you ever had to use one? I have several and often give them as housewarming gifts to friends. That's just part of being a consumer reporter, I guess.

But experts say you should have one in the kitchen, on every floor of your home, in the garage and even a small one in your car. But certain types work better than others. Tonight on WRAL-TV News at 5 p.m., we'll have the results of Consumer Reports tests on 15 extinguishers and sprays. And keep in mind, no matter which type of extinguisher you buy, Consumer Reports says you should always make sure its pressure indicator shows "full" and that it was manufactured within the last year. It might save you and your family from becoming a part of future fire statistics! Better yet, it might save your lives!

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