Fire Blankets for Car and Garage Fires: Know the limits
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Fire Blankets for Car and Garage Fires: Know the Limits
Cars, garages and workshops contain electrical equipment, plastics, oils, fuels, batteries and other materials that can create rapidly developing fires and dense smoke.
A conventional fire blanket may provide a first response to a small, accessible and fully coverable fire involving a loose object, portable appliance, clothing or small item of equipment.
It is not designed to cover an entire vehicle, suppress a developed engine fire, control leaking fuel or stop thermal runaway inside an electric-vehicle battery.
Which car and garage fires may be coverable?
A conventional fire blanket may be considered for incidents such as:
- a small burning tool or portable appliance;
- a small item of burning fabric or clothing;
- a compact electrical device after the power has been isolated;
- a small removable object that can be covered completely; or
- a minor cooking fire inside a camper or caravan.
The user must be able to reach the fire without opening an engine compartment, crossing flames, approaching leaking fuel or entering dense smoke.
What Fire Classes Can a Fire Blanket Be Used On? →
What should a conventional fire blanket not be used for?
Do not use a household or workplace fire blanket to:
- cover an entire burning car, van or motorcycle;
- reach inside a burning engine compartment;
- control leaking or spreading petrol, diesel, oil or solvent;
- approach a fuel tank, gas cylinder or pressurised component;
- control a developed lithium-ion battery fire;
- handle a burning or damaged high-voltage battery pack; or
- fight a fire that has spread into the vehicle structure or garage building.
Opening a bonnet or compartment may admit additional oxygen and expose the user to flames, heat, smoke or component failure. Keep a safe distance, evacuate and contact the emergency services.
Conventional fire blanket or Fire Limitation Blanket?
These are two different product categories.
Conventional fire blanket
A conventional fire blanket is a portable EN 1869:2019 product intended for small fires that can be covered completely by one person.
Typical uses include:
- small cooking-oil and fat fires;
- small burning objects;
- some compact appliance fires after electrical isolation; and
- clothing-fire intervention when the blanket is sufficiently large.
Fire Limitation Blanket
A vehicle-sized Fire Limitation Blanket is a specialist professional product designed to cover a complete vehicle and help limit flames, heat, smoke and contamination around the incident.
It does not extinguish thermal runaway inside an electric-vehicle battery and must be used as part of a trained emergency-response procedure.
Fire Limitation Blanket FAQs →
Why keep a conventional fire blanket in a garage?
A garage or workshop may contain small risks that are separate from the vehicle itself. A conventional fire blanket may be useful because it:
- contains no pressurised cylinder;
- does not discharge powder, foam or water;
- can cover a suitable small object quickly;
- is compact and easy to identify; and
- can complement the extinguishers specified for the premises.
A fire blanket is not a replacement for the correct extinguisher, alarm, ventilation controls, evacuation plan or emergency services.
Where should a fire blanket be stored?
In a garage or workshop
Install the blanket:
- on a visible wall near the exit;
- where vehicles, tools and stored materials cannot obstruct it;
- away from direct heat, moisture, oil and chemicals;
- where it can be reached from the safer side of the risk area; and
- close enough to the identified small-fire risk without being above it.
In a car, camper or caravan
Store the blanket:
- in an accessible and clearly identified compartment;
- where luggage cannot bury or damage it;
- away from moisture, oil and direct sunlight;
- within reach from outside or near an exit where practical; and
- separately from tools or equipment that could tear the packaging.
A blanket locked beneath luggage in the boot may not be accessible when it is needed. Storage should reflect the actual layout and likely risks of the vehicle.
Where Should You Keep a Fire Blanket? →
How to use a fire blanket on a small garage fire
Only consider deployment when the burning object is small, stationary, accessible and fully coverable.
- Raise the alarm and ensure that others move to safety.
- Keep a clear escape route behind you.
- Switch off electricity or another energy source only when safe.
- Pull the release tabs firmly downward.
- Hold the blanket so that it protects your hands and upper body.
- Place it carefully over the entire burning object.
- Leave it in position until the object has cooled fully.
- Replace the blanket after deployment on the fire.
Do not throw the blanket from a distance, carry a burning object, move a fuel container or lift the blanket prematurely.
How to Safely Use a Fire Blanket →
Electrical equipment and batteries
Electricity is not a separate formal European fire class, but energised equipment creates additional shock and arc hazards.
A fire blanket may be considered for a small electrical appliance only when:
- the power has been safely isolated;
- the fire remains confined to the appliance;
- the entire object can be covered;
- there are no exposed live components within reach; and
- the device does not contain a developed lithium-ion battery fire.
Do not pick up, wrap or carry a burning, swollen or damaged battery-powered device. Battery cells can vent, rupture and reignite after visible flames have subsided.
Fire Blankets for Electrical Appliance Fires →
Flammable liquids and fuel
A conventional fire blanket should not be presented as a general solution for petrol, diesel, solvent or other Class B liquid fires.
Do not attempt blanket deployment when:
- fuel is leaking or flowing;
- the burning liquid is spreading;
- vapours may ignite or explode;
- a fuel tank or container is heated;
- the source cannot be isolated safely; or
- the complete burning surface cannot be covered.
Use the extinguishing equipment specified for the particular Class B risk and follow the emergency procedure for the premises.
Choose the appropriate size
1 × 1 m fire blanket
A 1 × 1 m blanket is suitable for many small, fully coverable risks involving:
- portable tools or appliances;
- small textiles or loose objects;
- compact cooking equipment in a camper; and
- other limited fire sources that fit beneath the blanket.
1.2 × 1.8 m fire blanket
The larger version provides greater surface area for wider equipment, clothing-fire preparedness and larger—but still small and fully coverable— objects.
Neither size is intended to cover a complete vehicle.
What Size Fire Blanket Do I Need? →
Independently TÜV SÜD Tested
DVM fire blankets are manufactured from densely woven fibreglass fabric of at least 430 g/m².
The DVM 1 × 1 m Fire Blanket Series, including this material specification as part of the complete finished construction, has been independently tested by TÜV SÜD in accordance with EN 1869:2019.
The tested series passed the applicable cooking-oil and heptane fire-performance tests. These results provide product-specific evidence under the controlled conditions described in the official report.
The heptane result must not be interpreted as general approval for vehicle fuel fires, leaking petrol or spreading Class B liquid incidents.
When should you evacuate immediately?
Do not attempt to use a fire blanket when:
- a vehicle itself is burning;
- the engine bay, fuel system or battery pack is involved;
- flames are spreading rapidly;
- smoke, heat or fumes affect safe access;
- the burning area is larger than the blanket;
- gas cylinders, aerosols or pressurised containers are present;
- explosion or component rupture is possible;
- the garage structure is involved; or
- personal safety is uncertain.
Move people away from the area, close doors where possible without delaying escape and contact the emergency services.
Inspection and replacement
DVM recommends a documented visual inspection at least once every year. Garage and vehicle environments may justify more frequent checks because of temperature changes, moisture, vibration, oil and mechanical damage.
Check that the blanket:
- remains in its designated location;
- is immediately accessible;
- has intact packaging and pull tabs;
- has readable operating instructions;
- has not been exposed to oil, fuel, chemicals or moisture; and
- shows no visible damage to accessible fabric, seams or edges.
Replace the blanket after use on an actual fire. Do not wash, clean, repair or refold it for emergency reuse.
Fire Blanket Inspection & Maintenance →
Summary
A conventional fire blanket can be a useful addition to a garage, workshop, camper or vehicle when the identified risk involves a small, removable or fully coverable object.
It must not be treated as equipment for an entire vehicle fire, leaking fuel, a developed engine fire or an electric-vehicle battery incident.
For complete-vehicle incidents, a specialist Fire Limitation Blanket and a trained emergency-response procedure are required.
Choose a fire blanket for mobile and garage use
Choose a conventional DVM fire blanket for small, coverable risks in garages, workshops, campers and caravans. Select the 1.2 × 1.8 m version where additional coverage or clothing-fire preparedness is required.
View the car, BBQ and outdoor fire blanket guide →